India points finger at ‘one country’ for Saarc stalemate

India on Friday reiterated that progress in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) has been stalled due to “one country.”

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, did not name Pakistan but said, “There is one country which is responsible for holding back the progress of Saarc. You know which is that country.”

Jaiswal’s remarks followed queries about Bangladesh’s Interim Government Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus, who raised the issue of Saarc’s revival during a recent session in New York. The MEA spokesperson said India has “made its position very clear that it wants regional connectivity under its ambit.”

On the recent Ducsu elections in Dhaka, where candidates backed by Jamaat-e-Islami won, Jaiswal declined to comment, saying, “I have no comment to offer on university-level elections held recently.”

Regarding Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections scheduled for February next year, he emphasized India’s expectation of a “smooth and peaceful democratic transition through free, fair, credible and inclusive elections.”

When asked about Yunus’ remark that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s prolonged stay in India has strained New Delhi-Dhaka ties, Jaiswal referred the media to prior MEA statements. “We have clarified our position on this issue from this platform. I would request you to refer to those statements,” he said.