India obstacle to progress of SAARC countries, says FM Qureshi

WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said India’s hostile attitude is a big obstacle to the progress of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries. 

He was addressing a SAARC meeting on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York.

The foreign minister said they needed to move forward for the progress of the entire region.

He said India’s non-serious attitude is blocking the progress of SAARC, adding that it defies the spirit of the forum.

FM Qureshi said SAARC couldn’t achieve substantial progress in its objectives unless India changes its behavior.

According to reports, the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India avoided meeting each other at the meeting.  After making her statement in the SAARC meet, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left the venue and did not wait for FM Qureshi to  present his statement.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier written a letter to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi seeking resumption of talks with ‘constructive engagement’ between the two countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

Initially, India agreed that its external affairs minister will meet her Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in New York. But, a day later it announced not to proceed with the proposed talks, accusing Pakistan of ‘unclean intentions’ for the dialogue.

Subsequently, PM Khan tweeted: “Disappointed at the arrogant & negative response by India to my call for resumption of the peace dialogue. However, all my life I have come across small men occupying big offices who do not have the vision to see the larger picture.”