SAARC Summit: India Won't Take Part in Islamabad Event, Blames Terrorism

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi won't take part in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad in November, Ministry of External affairs Vikas Swarup said on Tuesday.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, India informed the current Saarc chair Nepal that increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of Member States by one country have created an environment that is not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th Saarc Summit in Islamabad in November 2016.

India said that it remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in an atmosphere free of terror.

"We also understand that some other Saarc Member States have also conveyed their reservation about attending the Islamabad Summit in November 2016," the statement added.

Swarup said that some other Saarc Member States have also conveyed their reservation about attending the Islamabad Summit in November 2016.

The other countries unwilling to attend are said to be Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan, according to sources.

The decision to boycott the Saarc Summit comes as India has been hyping its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan over the past few days, over the latter's open backing of the Kashmir unrest and also after the terror attack on an army camp in Uri on September 18 that left 18 soldiers dead.

Days after Prime Minister Modi announced that the sacrifices of the Indian soldiers in Uri would not go waste, the government decided to revisit the 56-year-old Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and maximise its own utilisation of waters of three upstream rivers that were being used by Pakistan.

India is also working to revoke the Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan in trade and Modi is to hold a meeting on the issue on Thursday.

The announcement to boycott the Saarc summit comes as India has been unsparing in its attack, at the United Nations General Assembly, on Pakistan for sponsoring terror. India has also announced on the floor of the world body that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so.

(With inputs from IANS)