Modi boycotts SAARC summit in Islamabad, the Indian Church: "Peace Now"
After the announcement of the Indian prime minister, also Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan have decided not to participate. The 19th conference on regional cooperation was to be held in November, but postponement likely. Tension between Delhi and Islamabad, after weeks of mutual weeks accusations.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - Pakistan is likely to remain increasingly isolated after the decision of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to boycott the SAARC summit (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), next November in Islamabad.
According to the prime minister, after separatist militant attacks in Kashmir which he believes orchestrated by Pakistan, the atmosphere "would not lead to a successful summit." Also yesterday the regional governments of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan withdrew their participation.
The leaders of the Indian Church have launched a new appeal for peace through Faridabad Archbishop Msgr. Kuriakose Bharanikulangara, who called on the government and the radical groups to "abandon any quest for revenge."
The 19th SAARC meeting for cooperation among the South Asian countries was to be held in Islamabad, but many have already rumored that it will be postponed. For weeks, tensions have been high between Delhi and Islamabad on the Kashmir issue and alleged Pakistani interference in India's internal affairs.
The two countries have also harshly confronted each other in front of the delegates of the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Modi accused neighboring Pakistan of sponsoring international terrorism.
The situation seemed on the verge of falling when on 18 September, an armed militant group broke into Kashmir and killed 18 soldiers, at the Indian army base in Uri, before being "neutralized."
According to Msgr. Bharanikulangara any retaliatory action would only lead to "exacerbating the situation only leads to war with disastrous consequences for India."
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