Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan join India in skipping Islamabad Saarc Summit

New Delhi/Islamabad, Sep 28 (AZINS) Following the diplomatic blitzkrieg launched by New Delhi, Pakistan was on Wednesday virtually getting isolated in the region with Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan joining India in boycotting the Saarc Summit scheduled to be hosted by Islamabad in November.

Pakistan said the summit is likely to be postponed.

"Due to increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani with his responsibilities as the Commander in Chief will be fully engaged, and will not be able to attend the summit," sources quoted Kabul as saying in a message to Saarc chair Nepal on Tuesday.

In a similar message to Nepal, Bangladesh on Tuesday said: "The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment which is not conducive to the successful hosting of the 19th Saarc (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) Summit in Islamabad in November 2016."

"Bangladesh, as the initiator of the Saarc process, remains steadfast in its commitment to regional cooperation, connectivity and contacts but believes that these can only go forward in a more congenial atmosphere," the message said.

"In view of the above, Bangladesh is unable to participate in the proposed summit in Islamabad."

In its message to Nepal, Bhutan, while reaffirming its strong commitment to the Saarc process and strengthening of regional cooperation, noted that "the concern of the Royal Government of Bhutan on the recent escalation of terrorism in the region, which has seriously compromised the environment for the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016", it is learnt.

"Further, the Royal Government of Bhutan shares the concerns of some of the member countries of Saarc on the deterioration of regional peace and security due to terrorism and joins them in conveying our inability to participate in the Saarc Summit, under the current circumstances," the message from Thimpu on Tuesday said.

Sri Lanka, it is learnt, has said that the event would not be possible without India's participation.

India on Tuesday announced that it was pulling out of the Islamabad summit after the September 18 cross-border terror attack on an Indian Army base in Uri town of Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 18 soldiers.

The attack came amid large-scale violence in Kashmir Valley that left around 90 people dead in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani on July 8.

In a statement on Tuesday, India said increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of Saarc member-states "by one country" have created an environment that was not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th Saarc summit.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said India has conveyed to current Saarc chair Nepal its decision not to attend the summit, for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to go.

The US has also said that it was pressurising Pakistan to act against terror safe havens within its borders.

"Well, I mean, clearly we've talked about that before is, while we've seen Pakistan make progress on some of the terrorist groups operating within its own borders and carrying out attacks within Pakistan's borders, that we continue to put pressure on Pakistan to respond to those groups who are, quote/unquote, 'seeking safe haven on Pakistan's borders', that -- who are intent on carrying out attacks elsewhere in the region," US State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said in the daily press briefing in Washington on Tuesday.

The US is one of the nine observer members of Saarc, the others being Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar and South Korea.

New Delhi has blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit for the Uri as well as January 2 Pathankot air base attack.

According to a report from Islamabd, Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that, as per Saarc rules, the summit will not be held if any member country refuses to attend.

He said the Saarc Summit was postponed four times in the past "due to Indian refusal" of its presence, Pakistan Radio reported.

Aziz said that although it is possible to postpone the summit, the Saarc Secretariat has not officially informed the Pakistan government so far.