Pakistan and India: Backchannel diplomacy appears to be yielding results

ISLAMABAD: Efforts made during last month’s Track 1.5 backchannel diplomacy between Pakistan and India appear to be yielding results, as Pakistan may agree to holding the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit at a neutral venue, possibly Colombo, a well-informed diplomatic source said on Wednesday.

SAARC Secretary General Md Golam Sarwar called on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Tuesday, where discussions were held on the long-delayed SAARC Summit, which has remained stalled due to India’s reservations.

Sources said the visiting SAARC secretary general proposed holding the summit at a neutral venue.

Established in 1985, the 18th and last official SAARC Summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on November 26-27, 2014. The SAARC Secretariat is currently based in Kathmandu.

The 19th SAARC Summit was scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in November 2016 but was postponed indefinitely after India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan boycotted the event following the Uri terrorist attack in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources indicated that Bangladesh is keen to revive the SAARC forum to promote regional unity and cooperation in South Asia, with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rehman taking responsibility for its revitalisation.

The SAARC member states include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

It is learnt that the Track 1.5 diplomatic efforts have made some progress in this regard. Pakistan’s senior journalist Nasim Zehra, Senator Sherry Rehman, former foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and security officials participated in the important meeting held in Colombo.

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