English | Telugu
3 nations follow India;Pull out of SAARC summit
Updated : Sep 28, 2016
Pakistan is virtually getting isolated in the region with Bangladesh, Bhutan+ and Afghanistan joining India in boycotting the annual Saarc Summit+ scheduled to be hosted byIslamabad in November. This comes a day after the MEA announced that India will not attend the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in November this year. The SAARC or South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit cannot take place even if one of the eight members withdraws. Bangladesh has communicated its inability to attend to current SAARC chair Nepal, saying, "The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016." Sources said, Afghanistan, too, has sent a communication to the Saarc chair Nepal. "Due to increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, H.E. the President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani with his responsibilities as the Commander in Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the Summit," the message said.