PM Narendra Modi reminds Saarc of 26/11, calls for alliance against terror

TNN

Kathmandu, Nov 27, 2014: Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up the Mumbai attacks in his Saarc address on Wednesday as he called for a pledge to combat terror and trans-national crimes. Modi chose not to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif — at least in a structured form — even as he had bilateral meetings with all other South Asian leaders on what was the 6th anniversary of 26/11.

 

"Today, as we remember the horror of the terror attack in Mumbai in 2008, we feel the endless pain of lost lives," said Modi. "Let us work together to fulfil the pledge we have taken to combat terrorism and trans-national crimes," he said.

 

The 18th Saarc summit itself ended with a whimper on the first day as Pakistan spoiled India’s party by blocking three key agreements, including one for a regional power grid, which the Saarc nations were looking to sign to improve connectivity and trade cooperation in the region. Sources said Pakistan wanted more time for internal approvals for the same.

 

External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said this was going to be a major "discussion point’’ at the Dhulikhel retreat on the outskirts of Kathmandu on Thursday, the second leg of the summit, as several countries were disappointed.

 

While Modi and Sharif seemed cold to each other on the podium, Indian officials later suggested that the two leaders had exchanged pleasantries.

 

 

Modi and Nawaz could still have a brief "powwow’’ at Dhulikhel but both sides suggested that any such meeting was not likely to be substantive in nature. The spokesperson said there was no proposal for a meeting from Pakistan.

 

The issue of terrorism, in fact, was taken up also by other leaders like Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay and new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in their speeches. Ghani spoke about the need to ensure that non-state actors responsible for the menace were not embraced by state actors and how Afghanistan was not going to allow anybody to wage a proxy war on its territory- a statement seen as a veiled reference to Pakistan.

 

Nepal has been abuzz with reports in the local media about China looking to push its case for full membership of Saarc. Sharif added to the speculation when he said in his address about how the grouping could benefit from greater interaction with Observer countries (China currently has an Observer status) as he identified South Asia, China and Central Asia as the three engines of growth. Seeking a "dispute free’’ South Asia, and a bond of trust among Saarc nations, Sharif said the gap between the aspirations of people in the region and the reality had to be bridged. India, however, is opposed to any horizontal expansion of Saarc before it is strengthened in its current form and it had made its position known in a Saarc foreign ministry-level meeting on Tuesday.

 

Modi said a prosperous Saarc needed the strong foundation of a secure South Asia. "If we are sensitive to each other’s security, and the lives of our people, we will deepen friendships, spur cooperation and advance stability in our region,’’ he said.

 

Even as the expected agreements were blocked by Pakistan, Modi said his vision for the region was based on five pillars - trade, investment, assistance, cooperation in every area and contacts "between our people and through seamless connectivity".

 

Calling for greater regional integration, Modi identified infrastructure as the region’s greatest weakness and its most pressing need. "When I thought of coming to Kathmandu by road, it made many officials in India nervous ... because of the condition of roads at the border!"

 

The PM said he wanted to set up a Special Purpose Facility in India to finance infrastructure projects in the Saarc region that enhances "our connectivity and trade".