By Muhammad Luqman
Sri Lanka has announced to support Pakistan’s efforts to host the 20th summit meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Islamabad this year.
“Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and expressed support for organising SAARC summit in Pakistan,” according to an official statement.
The SAARC summit was originally planned to be held in Islamabad ,on 15–16 November 2016.The summit was to be attended by the leaders of the eight SAARC member states and representatives of observers and guest states.
But following the rising diplomatic tensions after attack by militants on Indian military camp in Uri town of Indian-held Kashmir , New Delhi announced the boycott of the summit, alleging Pakistan’s involvement in the attack. Later, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives also pulled out of the summit, culminating in an indefinite postponement of the summit.
SAARC, a regional organization, was formed on December 8, 1985. It comprises eight nations of South Asia-Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
