New Delhi: Pakistan on Wednesday refrained from participating in the SAARC commerce ministry officials meet that took place via video conference. According to sources in Islamabad, they didn't participate due to no participation by the SAARC secretariat. The commerce ministry officials meet was the third such video conference meet between the SAARC countries in the last one month on COVID-19 crisis.
In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a SAARC meet via video conference of the heads of government or state levels for a regional coordinated policy on the deadly coronavirus COVID-19. All the countries had participated in barring Pakistan which had sent a junior level advisor for the meet.
India had proposed an emergency COVID-19 fund in which all countries except for Pakistan announced their contribution.
After the meet, SAARC countries health ministry officials had also met via video conference. During the meet, the Indian side had proposed a shared electronic platform for all SAARC nations to share and exchange information, knowledge, expertise and best practices for jointly combating the coronavirus epidemic.
