Saarc members ask Pakistan to pay $7.8m for university

NEW DELHI: Members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation have asked Pakistan to immediately pay up $7.85 million as its contribution to the South Asian University.

Pakistan is the only member of the SAARC which has not yet contributed any amount for running the institution since it started functioning in Delhi in 2010. The issue was also discussed during the 53rd meeting of the SAARC's programming committee in Kathmandu early last month and during the ninth meeting of the governing board of the varsity in Dhaka on November 28, 2016.

India has so far given $30.37 million as its operational contribution to the varsity . Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka contributed $2.3 million, $4.9 million, $2.3 million, $1.8 million, $2.9 million and $2.9 million respectively.   Pakistan, however, recently conveyed that efforts were being made to expedite payment of its share of contribution to the SAU, according to people aware of the matter.