FM slams India for being obstacle in regional progress: FM Qureshi

NEW YORK (92 News) – Once again India scattered the diplomatic morals on global forum as Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj walked out of the SAARC meeting in New York midway. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Swaraj attended the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) council of foreign ministers meeting here on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. During the SAARC meeting, Swaraj did not meet Qureshi and left after half an hour. After the meeting Indian minister left horridly without answering a question from a reported who asked about any possibility of her meeting with Pakistani foreign minister. Speaking to the journalists after the meeting, Qureshi slammed India for being a roadblock to regional cooperation after the Indian external affairs left the session in midway. Qureshi accused India of creating obstacle in regional cooperation. He said that the attitude of only one country is hampering the spirit of the SAARC. “If the nations want to achieve something from the SAARC forum they need to move forward,” the minister said. Qureshi said that he did not talk to his Indian counterpart. “She left the meeting mid way. She (Swaraj) talked about regional cooperation. My question is that how is regional cooperation possible if the nations in the region are ready to sit and you are the obstacle in those talks,” he said. “I am not hesitating in saying that for the progress and success of the SAARC and for the connectivity and prosperity of the region, there is only one obstacle. The attitude of only one country is hampering and not letting the spirit of the SAARC and of the founding fathers fulfilled,” he said. Earlier from session when Swaraj reached, the Indian journalists asked many question. To a question on any possibility of her meeting with Pakistani foreign minister, Indian external affair minister laughed and did not answer. She was strictly criticized by the Indian media for not giving answer to media. Earlier, Pakistan offer peaceful talk to help de-escalate tensions between Indo-Pak relations but Indian Modi-led government accepted and later rejected without any reason.