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| External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks on cross-border terrorism, ties with China |
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday made a veiled criticism of Pakistan and said that India cannot have a SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) meeting as long as one member state continues to engage in acts of terrorism, adding that India will not tolerate a situation where "terrorism happens by night and trade happens by day".
"You have not heard very much about SAARC because, in the last few years, there isn't very much to hear about. We have not had meetings because you have a member of SAARC who doesn't conform to all the basic requirements of what a good membership is, and that is today an obstacle reality of SAARC to meet. You know I said we cannot continue with acts of terrorism and say the cooperation will continue to happen nevertheless," Jaishankar said, when asked why there had been no talk about SAARC in recent times, during an interactive session at an event in New Delhi.
"I think there are issues there and it's time to recognise the seriousness of issues and not allow terrorism to happen by night and trade by day. I don't think the country is well served by that," the Minister added.
SAARC is the regional intergovernmental organisation of eight countries of South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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