At UNGA, Pak Accuses India of Being Obstacle to SAARC Cooperation

The remarks came days after cancellation of proposed talks between Foreign Ministers of India and Pak by New Delhi.

A meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi was scheduled but was later cancelled. 

(Photo: The Quint)

“The attitude of only one country is hampering the spirit of the SAARC,” Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Thursday, 27 September, as he accused India of being an obstacle to regional cooperation.

Qureshi’s comments come after he participated in the the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) council of foreign ministers in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also attended the meeting but left early.

Qureshi said he did not talk to his Indian counterpart.

“She left the meeting midway. Maybe she was not feeling well,” he told reporters after the meeting.

“She (Swaraj) talked about regional cooperation. My question is that how is regional cooperation possible if the nations in the region are ready to sit and you are the obstacle in those talks.”

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi

Qureshi said if the nations want to achieve something from the SAARC forum they need to move forward.

“I am not hesitating in saying that for the progress and success of the SAARC and for the connectivity and prosperity of the region, there is only one obstacle. The attitude of only one country is hampering and not letting the spirit of the SAARC and of the founding fathers fulfilled,” he said.

The remarks came days after cancellation of proposed talks between Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan by New Delhi.