‘Where terrorism happens by night…’: MEA S Jaishankar slams Pakistan, explains why SAARC meet hasn't happened yet 

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday launched a veiled offensive against Pakistan. While responding to a question on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, the External Affairs minister said that India cannot have a SAARC meeting until one member continues to engage in terror acts.  

Dr Jaishankar added that India will not tolerate a scenario wherein “terrorism happens by night and trade happens by day” .  

"You have not heard very much about SAARC because, in the last few years, there isn't very much to hear about. We have not had meetings because you have a member of SAARC who doesn't conform to all the basic requirements of what a good membership is, and that is today an obstacle reality for the SAARC to meet. You know I said we cannot continue with acts of terrorism and say the cooperation will continue to happen nevertheless,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.  

The SAARC grouping has not been active since 2016 as the summits have not taken place since the last summit took place in Kathmandu in 2014. The 2016 SAARC summit was scheduled to be held at Islamabad.   

India expressed its inability to attend the summit due to “prevailing circumstances”, following the terror attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri on September 18, 2016. This summit was eventually called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the summit.  

SAARC comprises India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. This, however, is not the first time Jaishankar blamed Pakistan for the inactivity of SAARC. 

 Jaishankar said in December last year that the SAARC is not active at present because one member of the SAARC believes dealing with “neighbours is compatible with the factors of cross-border terrorism”. When asked about having good relationships with other countries but Pakistan, the EAM said they cannot have a normal relationship because of cross-border terrorism. 

(With agency inputs)

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