Pakistan on Wednesday skipped the 'Trade Officials Video-Conference on Covid-19' of the SAARC countries arranged by India, saying 'such activities could only be effective if spearheaded by the SAARC Secretariat'.

Responding to media queries regarding Pakistan's non-participation in the Trade Officials Video-Conference on Covid-19 arranged by India, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui stated that being a founding member, Pakistan believed that SAARC provides an important platform for regional cooperation.

She asserted that the role of the Secretariat assumes further salience in emergency situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and its wider social and economic fall-out.

As in the case of other regional and international organizations, she said that SAARC Secretariat also provides the requisite convening platform, institutional framework and support structure for essential coordination and follow-up.

"Activities such as today's Trade Officials' Video-Conference could only be effective if spearheaded by the SAARC Secretariat," she emphasised. "Since the SAARC Secretariat was not part of today's Video-Conference, Pakistan chose not to participate," she explained. In order for the SAARC process to move forward, the spokesperson said that the SAARC Secretariat must be enabled to play its due role in any event or activity being organized under SAARC auspices.

"At a time when the region is facing unprecedented challenges, all the available institutional frameworks must be optimally utilized," she asserted. Earlier on March 26, Pakistan had participated in such a conference of the health professionals from the SAARC member states. PM's special assistant on health services Dr Zafar Mirza had represented the video conference, which was chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.