Islamabad: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has refused to attend the upcoming D-8 conference in Pakistan as Dhaka first wants an apology from Islamabad over the war crimes allegedly committed during the 1971 war.
According to sources, Hasina formally informed the Pakistani government Saturday through the foreign office that she would not be attending the summit, despite having initially agreed to do so.
Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni had sought an apology from Pakistan, the Dawn reported citing reports.
Pakistan has said that it has regretted in different forms in the past and that "it was time to move forward".
Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak also excused himself from attending the conference to be held Nov 22. The reasons behind his cancellation of the visit could not be confirmed.
The D-8 is a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance. It comprises Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
IANS
First Published: Sunday, November 18, 2012, 19:25