Pakistan to host next SAARC summit, says Qureshi

NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Thursday said the member countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) had unanimously decided to hold the next summit level meeting in Islamabad.

According to FM Qureshi, Prime Minister Imran Khan would chair the next SAARC summit to be held on mutually convenient dates as proposed by Pakistan, adding that He said all the member states, except India, agreed to hold the next summit level meeting in Pakistan.

The decision was taken in a ministerial level meeting of the SAARC countries held here on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, which was also attended by the  minister.

Qureshi said he proposed the SAARC member countries that the summit level meeting was essential if they really wanted to exploit the region’s true potential in tourism, economy and other sectors, and discuss their disputes.

The  minister said the last the  summit was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in 2016, which could not be held due to Indian objections.

However, India this time remained silent in that regard, he added.

He said the SAARC  is a forum where the regional countries could discuss disputes and find out their solutions.

The minister said he deliberately arrived at the meeting late to avoid listening to to the India foreign minister in protest against the human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.