India has pulled out of this year's SAARC summit to be held in November in Islamabad, Pakistan, citing that regional cooperation and terror do not go together. India's decision came at the time when tensions between neighbor Pakistan had heated up over the issue of Kashmir.
In a letter sent by Ministry of External Affairs to the SAARC Secretariat Nepal, India said they had many reservations in participating in the summit. The letter, uploaded onto the Ministry’s official twitter account, India said that they have “conveyed to current SAARC Chair Nepal that increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of Member States by one country have created an environment that is not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016”.
The Hindu reported that Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal had followed suit, withdrawing from the SAARC Summit as well.
Pakistan's Foreign Office termed the withdrawal "unfortunate", and posted a rejoinder stating: "As for the excuse used by India, the world knows that it is India that has been perpetrating and financing terrorism in Pakistan." The statement included a reference to Indian national Kulbhushan Yadav, detained by Pakistan for espionage, and accused India of violating international laws by interfering inside Pakistan.
Tensions between the regional rivals had flared over the 18th September attacks near the town of Uri in the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. Seventeen army personnel were killed in the attack.
