Pakistan expects to host Saarc summit soon

Pakistan has expressed its expectation that the 19th Saarc summit would be held in Islamabad soon.

The summit, which was scheduled for November 9-10, 2016, was postponed as a number of Saarc members -- Bangladesh, India, Bhutan and Afghanistan -- conveyed their inability to attend the summit amid terror attacks in Kashmir that killed Indian troops. India blamed Pakistan for the attack.

Adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz talked to the outgoing secretary general of Saarc Arjun Bahadur Thapa in Islamabad on the issue on Friday.

“Pakistan remains committed to hosting the 19th Saarc Summit at Islamabad at the earliest so that the objectives of regional cooperation under the Saarc umbrella can be pursued more vigorously,” Aziz was quoted by Indian and Pakistan media as saying.

Thapa laid emphasis on the need to overcome the difficulties that the Saarc faced.