The SAARC summit on Interior/Home affairs had a cold start on Thursday when the Indo-Pak interior secretaries had miscommunication in their one on one meeting and the delegates failed to approve few key proposals to cooperate in the fields of police and immigration.
A top official of Pakistan's interior ministry told
ANI that the two sides had a bad taste when Indian secretary Home Affairs Gopal K Pillai rejected the venue for the one-on-one meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhary.
"The organizers had selected a room for this meeting on ground floor of the Serena Hotel where this conference is taking place and all the delegates are staying. But the Indian secretary refused to attend this session in that room and asked the Pakistani secretary Interior for meeting in the room where he (Gopal K Pillai) was staying," said the official.
"Pakistani secretary then went into his room but the two officials could not have a good start as the issue of terrorism came under discussion as the first point when the Indian secretary mentioned that SAARC can't go ahead until Pakistan stops terrorism," he said.
"Pakistan is involved in terrorist activities in India and Afghanistan. Even US is aware of this fact, how can SAARC progress in these conditions," the official quoted Indian secretary as telling his Pakistani counterpart.
He said that Pakistani secretary interior in reply told Pillai that India was doing terrorism and infiltration in Balochistan and if terrorism is to be stopped then both sides have to stop it.
"Later, the common sense prevailed and both officials discussed all other issues after Indian secretary threw a joke and offered a glass of juice to Pakistani secretary interior, who was guest in Pillai's room at that point. Then the meeting lasted for around 45 minutes and two sides discussed all the points," he said.
Meanwhile, the meeting of 8th SAARC conference on cooperation in immigration and police matters failed to finalise key proposals after India and Pakistan opposed to certain issues.
The under secretary in Home Ministry