Pakistan hopes India will end boycott of Saarc Summit

BEIJING: After the entry of India and Pakistan into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on June 9, Islamabad is hoping New Delhi will rethink last year's decision to boycott the Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit in Pakistan and will attend if it was to be held as expected later this year, reported foreign media.

"We really hope for Saarc, which is our regional organisation, to move beyond the differences and India would be able to come to Pakistan for the Saarc summit because in the end we are neighbours," said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a senior diplomat and deputy chief of mission at the Pakistan’s embassy in Beijing.

"It is important for us to strengthen Saarc as an organisation," Baloch said, speaking in Beijing where the SCO Secretariat headquarters on Monday welcomed the formal entry of India and Pakistan as the six-member Eurasian grouping's newest members.

Last year's Saarc summit in Pakistan was cancelled after India declined to attend in the wake of the Uri terror attacks, with India's stand backed by other members – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Baloch said the entry of India and Pakistan into the SCO could help relations and that Pakistan didn't see the grouping as a forum for resolving disputes. "This is not an organisation to settle disputes. This is an organisation to work for the region and for common challenges and common development." She added, "[The entry on June 9] was a great day for Pakistan and great day for the region and a great day for the SCO. With the increase of this membership with the inclusion of Pakistan and India, we have made this organisation more inclusive and we will able to work together to fight common challenges."

Baloch said it was just "speculation" by the media that the entry of India and Pakistan would bring disputes and complications to the grouping.

"It is just speculation by the media. It is an important organisation for Pakistan and it is an important organisation for India. We hope that we would bring some positives to the table and contribute to our region's development and to more understanding between all parties in the SCO. Of course, when you work together and you are in the same organisation you have opportunities to resolve many of the issues."