Pakistan humiliated by south Asian countries' boycott of summit

The Guardian ^ | 28 Sep 2016 | Jon Boone, Michael Saafi

[Cronos]

India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan cite regional interference as they pull out of what was set to be a historic meeting

Four south Asian countries are to boycott what was set to be a historic regional summit in Islamadad in November, dealing a humiliating blow to Pakistan and isolating it diplomatically.

India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan all said they would pull out of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting following a collapse in relations between Pakistan and India, the subcontinent’s nuclear-armed rivals.

Statements by the region’s foreign ministries echoed India’s criticism on Tuesday night, which blamed “increasing cross-border terrorist attacks and growing interference of the internal affairs of member states” for Delhi’s decision to boycott the conference.

Until recently, the prospect of the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Islamabad had been seen as a potentially highly symbolic step towards reconciliation between Pakistan and India.

The two countries, however, have been engaged interse exchanges following an attack on an Indian army base on 18 September that killed 19 soldiers, which Delhi has blamed on jihadis based in Pakistan. The raid took place in town of Uri near the line of control that divides the contested Himalayan territory of Kashmir.

Four days later, India denounced Pakistan at the UN as the host of the “Ivy League of terrorism”.

..In recent weeks, Modi has publicly backed separatist rebels in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan, a move that has infuriated Islamabad. He has also questioned a key cross-border river treaty and vowed to orchestrate Pakistan’s diplomatic isolation.

That promise became reality on Wednesday when it became clear four out of SAARC’s eight members would not attend the summit, which it is Pakistan’s turn to host

[Cronos]

I think Modi would get along well with Trumpfghanistan’s foreign ministry, which has long accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban-led insurgency, was most stinging in its criticism, denouncing “the increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan”.

[Jack Hammer]

Seems that Pakistan is having difficulty comprehending the idea that aiding and abetting terrorism, together with threatening and bullying your neighbors, might have some negative consequences.

[BenLurkin]

Ivy League of Terrorism. Obama’s friends.

[Nextrush]

India has taken some action in recent hours attacking terrorist camps in Kashmir.

[Jack Hammer]

India and Pakistan fighting over Kashmir has been going on since the early paleozoic era.

[Nextrush]

There’s been a fair amount of anxiety about the planned Indian military action with Pakis practicing landing their planes on highways last week.

Its happened this morning and was posted as “Breaking News” on the BBC website.

I have posted the BBC story as “Front Page News”.

[Jack Hammer]

India and Pakistan seem to go back and forth pretty regularly.

I have the feeling it’s a little like the USSR and the US used to be - both sides have nukes and they’re both leery of geting their backsides kicked.

India’s bigger, but Pakistan has lots of moslem friends. If they did decide to go at it, I think it would soon spread and probably get out of hand.

[kearnyirish2]

Red China wants part as well.

Imagine how our economy would flourish if they went to war over it? We’d get so many jobs back...

[DIRTYSECRET]

Heavens! We both know the Paks are crazy. India sided with the USSR during the Cold War.

[Moltke]

/SAARC