Kathmandu, July 11: Pakistani foreign secretary Riaz Khokhar expressed hope today that a south Asian summit, which his country is due to host in January, will not be delayed again by conflict with India. "India through one or the other excuse has postponed three summits in the past including the present one. I hope India will not make an excuse for reverting the summit," Khokhar claimed.
He was addressing reporters in Kathmandu where foreign secretaries of the seven-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) yesterday set January 4-6 for the summit in Islamabad. The summit was due to be held in January 2003, but Pakistan delayed it after India did not confirm the attendance of its Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Khokhar dismissed suggestions Pakistan was responsible for the delay.
"We have a record of holding things on time," Khokhar said.
He mentioned specifically as a possibility that India could decline to attend the summit charging that not enough progress had been made on a proposed South Asian Free Trade Agreement.

Bureau Report