Pak says will invite Modi again for Saarc Summit
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LAHORE: Pakistan will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said on Tuesday even as Punjab state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu arrived in the country for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor.
Addressing an event in Islamabad, Faisal made the remarks about inviting the Indian prime minister to the Saarc summit, which was to be held in Islamabad in 2016 but was called off after New Delhi pulled out over the Uri terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists.
There was no official reaction from India. Queries to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) remained unanswered.
A foreign ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said India was yet to get an official invite. The official, however, said that even the timing of the meeting is uncertain. He pointed out that Saarc summits are usually held in November, but that this year November is almost over and Bangladesh is going to polls in December. Next year, India will vote in the general elections. An official in the Prime Minister’s Office, too, confirmed that PM Modi was yet to receive an invitation.
After India pulled out of the summit of the eight-member Saarc bloc two years ago citing Pakistan’s help to terrorists, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh too decided not to take part. According to the rules, if even one head of state, or government, decides not to participate, the summit has to be postponed.