Afghanistan, Bangladesh also likely to stay away.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh also likely to stay away.
There is feverish speculation in the corridors of power in New Delhi that in the wake of the Uri terror attack, a furious India may boycott the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit which is to be held in Pakistan in November along with an equally livid Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
What set the cat among the pigeons and triggered the speculation was Afghan ambassador Shaida Mohammad Abdali’s reported statement that the time has come for countries of the region to join hands in “singling out” Pakistan for spoiling regional peace and stability through terror, and that a possible boycott of the upcoming Saarc summit in Islamabad should be weighed. Afghanistan has also been equally furious with its neighbour Pakistan, which has been carrying out terror attacks through the Taliban on Afghan soil.
When contacted, government sources refu-sed to comment on the issue saying no official position has yet been articulated on the matter by New Delhi. But if the boycott of the Saarc summit indeed becomes a reality it will raise serious questions on the future of the 8-nation Saarc, which is bogged down by Indo-Pak rivalry and hostility.
Till a few days ago, New Delhi was reportedly keen on the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Islamabad Saarc summit but the blatant and ghastly terror attack on the Army base at Uri has virtually made his participation untenable given the outrage in the country. If India leads the boycott, Bhutan may also stay away from the summit while Chinese pressure may ensure that Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives attend, but all this is still in the realm of speculation.
Calling for regional unity in sending out a strong message to Islamabad, Afghan envoy Abdali said terrorism being unleashed has become very lethal and systematic as it is state-sponsored and that there should be zero tolerance to it. He also told a news channel, “We have to make sure that we bring the maximum number of countries and I am sure most of the countries in South Asia are in line with what Afghanistan and India think.”
Therefore, the effort should be a comprehensive one and one which should include as many (countries) as possible. Definitely we should single (out) a country that spoils our unity and spoils regional stability and peace and that stops integration and connectivity.”
The Afghan envoy was quoted as saying further, “There must be zero tolerance (towards terrorism). It must end. We have seen the signs of terrorism becoming much more lethal and becoming very systematic. This is a state-sponsored terrorism. It is no more a issue of non-state actors that we have been hearing for a long time. Now there is ample proof of this as state-sponsored terrorism and therefore we have to revisit our mechanisms. We have a global war on terror that must be revisited.”
Bangladesh has also been at the receiving end of Pakistan-sponsored radicalism. Islamabad has been angry at the Sheikh Hasina Government in Dhaka for executing Pakistan-backed war criminals who had helped carry out a genocide in the then east Pakistan in 1971. Dhaka has warned Islamabad several times in the recent past not to interfere in its affairs. Pakistani diplomats posted in Dhaka have also been suspected of involvement in fuelling radicalism and terrorism in Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India told a news agency that there has been no final decision yet on his country boycotting the summit. “As of now, the SAARC summit is going to be held sometime in November. No final decision has been taken by our PM (Sheikh Hasina) regarding her participation,” Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali was quoted by media reports as telling a news agency. He further said, “As of now, the SAARC summit is going to be held in sometime in November.” He also reportedly said the Prime Ministers of both countries can discuss regarding their attendance at the SAARC summit in Islamabad at an upcoming event in Goa in which both countries will participate. “Both India and Bangladesh are engaged at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and general assembly is the main forum where we voice our international concerns,” he was further quoted as saying.
There were also some media reports on Tuesday evening that the three countries may also unite to hold a Victims of State Sponsors of Terrorism Conference but Indian Government sources said they had not heard of any such thing.
In another development, Pakistan’s Director General of Intelligence Bureau Aftab Sultan will not participate in the Second meeting of High Level Group of Eminent Experts from SAARC countries to strengthen the SAARC Anti-Terror Mechanism that will be held on September 22-23 in New Delhi organised by the Home Ministry but Islamabad is expected to register its presence through a High Commission official.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and condemned the “cross border attack” in Uri while expressing solidarity with India to eliminate the threat of terrorism.
President Ghani strongly condemned the cross-border terror attack and conveyed Afghanistan’s solidarity and support with India for all actions to eliminate the threat of terrorism, a PMO statement said. President Ghani also expressed his condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers. Prime Minister Modi thanked President Ghani for Afghanistan’s support. Later in the day, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena also called up PM Modi to express condolences over the loss of lives in the Uri attack. Sirisena strongly condemned the cross-border terrorist attack and offered condolences to the families of the victims, the PMO said.
