FO terms decision 'unfortunate'

Pakistan on Tuesday termed Indian refusal to attend the upcoming Saarc Summit in Islamabad as 'unfortunate' and also hit back at the Indian accusation of 'cross-border terrorism'. The Indian decision not to attend the 19th Saarc Summit to be hosted by Pakistan on November 9 and 10 came via a tweet by Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
"India has conveyed to current SAARC Chair Nepal that increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of Member States by one country have created an environment that is not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016,"he said. He said, "In the prevailing circumstances, the Government of India is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad". He further said, "We also understand that some other SAARC Member States have also conveyed their reservation about attending the Islamabad Summit in November 2016".
Responding to the Indian government decision, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria also took to the twitter and described the decision as 'unfortunate'. "Pakistan has noted from Indian Spokesperson's tweet on Indian announcement about their refusal to participate in 19th SAARC Summit being hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad this November", he said, adding while we have not received any official communication in this regard, the Indian announcement is unfortunate.
"Pakistan remains committed to peace and regional cooperation. We will continue to work to that end in the larger interest of the people of this region," Zakaria said. As for the excuse used by India, he pointed out that the world knows that it is India that has been perpetrating and financing terrorism in Pakistan. "Public confession by Kulbhushan Vadav, Indian intelligence agency RAW's officer, is a living proof besides many more other evidences, it is India which has violated the international law and UN Charter by interfering in the internal matters of a sovereign state, Pakistan," he added. The development comes following Uri attack in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed on September 18, 2016 by four armed men which the Indian authorities immediately blamed on Pakistan. Pakistan, however, rejected the accusation and termed this an attempt to divert world's attention from the grave human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir.