DHAKA: Bangladesh on Wednesday pulled out of a key regional summit to be held in Pakistan, a day after India said it was boycotting the event over a deadly cross-border attack on a military base. On Wednesday junior Bangladesh foreign minister Shahriar Alam confirmed to Agence France-Presse by text message that Bangladesh would not attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit. The country was not named, but Bangladesh has in the past accused Pakistan of interference for protesting the execution of Islamist leaders found guilty of war crimes. Responding to India’s move, Pakistan said it remained “committed to peace and regional cooperation” and accused New Delhi of perpetrating “terrorism” on its soil. Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of interference in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and is afflicted by Islamist militancy and a separatist insurgency.

Source: Manila Times September 28, 2016 07:41 UTC