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Pakistan: SAARC Summit Postponed

by Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD --

   Pakistan announced Friday it would postpone a November meeting of the
   heads of South Asian countries, blaming arch-rival India for derailing
   the process of regional cooperation.
   The move comes amid escalating border and diplomatic tensions between
   Islamabad and New Delhi over allegations that Pakistan was behind a
   deadly assault earlier in September on an Indian army base in the
   divided Kashmir region.

   India earlier decided not to attend the summit of the South Asian
   Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, citing what it called
   cross-border terrorism, charges the Pakistan government rejects.
   Pakistan, which was to host the summit, said it deplored India's
   decision not to attend, according to a foreign ministry statement
   issued in Islamabad.
   "The spirit of the SAARC Charter is violated when a member state casts
   the shadow of its bilateral problems on the multilateral forum for
   regional cooperation," it said.

   Diplomatic isolation
   India has vowed to try to diplomatically isolate Pakistan for its
   alleged support of Islamist groups on its soil, groups India says are
   behind terrorist attacks in neighboring countries. Staying away from
   the SAARC meeting appears to be part of India's efforts.
   Three other members of the group, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan,
   have pulled out of the summit, backing Indian concerns.
   The rivalry between India and Pakistan, the two largest members of
   SAARC, has long been blamed for keeping the organization from becoming
   an effective forum to deal with the challenges facing the
   poverty-stricken region.
   "The decision by India to derail the summit effectively contradicts
   Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi's own call to fight against poverty in
   the region," the Pakistan foreign ministry statement said.

   An Indian army soldier arrives at the army base which was attacked by
   suspected rebels in the town of Uri, west of Srinagar,
   Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 18, 2016.

   While New Delhi blamed the September 18 attack on Pakistan-based
   militants, Islamabad denied any role and called it an attempt to
   deflect attention from alleged human rights abuses by Indian security
   forces in the disputed Himalayan region.

   Tensions on the rise
   Tensions escalated further Thursday when the Indian military said its
   soldiers crossed into Pakistani Kashmir and conducted predawn strikes
   against terrorists there.
   Islamabad swiftly rejected India's claims as "falsified, concocted and
   irresponsible statements" and said the Indian strikes are another
   incident of cross-border firing in which two Pakistani soldiers were
   killed while nine more were wounded.
   The border skirmishes have raised fears of another conflict over
   Kashmir.

   The region is claimed by both countries and has sparked two of the
   three wars between India and Pakistan since they gained independence
   from Britain in 1947.