In the aftermath of the deadly Uri terror strike that killed 18 Indian army men on 18 September 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that he will not be attending the upcoming SAARC summit that is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on 9 and 10 November. Hot on the heels of this announcement, news reports announced that Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Bangladesh would also be skipping the conference.
The November SAARC summit has now been cancelled by Nepal, the current chair of the SAARC, according to news reports. This is because all decisions at the forum need to be made unanimously according to the SAARC charter and, therefore, without the presence of even a single country, decisions cannot be made.
1. So, what’s the big deal?
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC is made up of eight countries – Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Four of these – India, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh – have said they will be boycotting the summit. That leaves Pakistan with three countries to play host to and what’s an international conference where half the members are missing?
2. Hasn’t any SAARC summit been boycotted before?
SAARC summits have been postponed in the past as well, and even cancelled. India-Pak tensions have played a role in this as well, but India has not openly stated a strong anti-Pak reason for not attending a SAARC summit in the past.
In this case, India issued a statement where it has said 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.”
While Pakistan hasn’t been named, the reference to cross-border terrorist attacks and interference in internal affairs clearly points to the Uri attack and Pakistan’s statements on Kashmir.
3. Why are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan joining the boycott?
According to official reports, none of the countries have clearly named Pakistan but their statements, just like India’s, clearly point a finger at the country’s backing of terror in the region.
Afghanistan’s statement is pretty badass:
Due to increased level of violence, fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, President of Afghanistan with his responsibilities as Commander in Chief will be engaged and will not be able to attend the SAARC Summit.
The words “imposed terrorism” refer to Afghanistan’s continued accusations that Pakistan foments terrorism in the country. Afghanistan basically said that the President wouldn’t be able to attend the SAARC in Pakistan because he would be too busy dealing with Pakistan-sponsored terror in his own country.
Bangladesh has referred to “the growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country” and Syed Muazzem, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, has said that while the SAARC boycott is a setback, Pakistan, as a part of the region, must contribute to regional harmony.
Bhutan is a strong ally of India in South Asia and it’s not surprising that the country has taken a stand on the issue despite not being directly affected by cross-border terrorism via Pakistan. Bhutan has said it “shares concerns of some SAARC countries on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism”.
4. How has Pakistan reacted to this?
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said it is “unfortunate” that India has announced its non-participation. It has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace and regional cooperation and called India’s reasons for boycotting SAARC an “excuse”.
While India has not named Pakistan outright, Pakistan has responded directly to India, saying “the world knows that it is India that has been perpetrating and financing terrorism in Pakistan” and referred to Kulbhushan Yadav, an Indian national who Pakistan has arrested and accused of being a spy.
It is India which has violated the international law and UN Charter by interfering in the internal matters of a sovereign state, Pakistan.Statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan
The boycott is a public embarrassment for Pakistan and adds to its sense of diplomatic isolation, which India is hoping to further increase. The show of support by Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh adds to the legitimacy of India’s announcement and weakens Pakistan’s standing in the international community.
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