India appears in no mood to give the ‘go ahead’ for the next SAARC Summit to take place in Islamabad this year even as Pakistan seeks the assistance of Nepal and other member-states to host the eight-nation meet.

“India’s stand is very clear…Pakistan must stop promoting terrorism and interference in the internal affairs of its neighbours for the SAARC process to be revived,” a source here said when asked for reaction to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s visit to Kathmandu during which he sought the Nepalese leadership’s support in reinvigorating the grouping.

The source claimed that Pakistan continued to aid and abet terrorism in India and Afghanistan and terrorist elements like Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the Mumbai attack, still enjoyed official patronage in the country.

India kept a close watch on the Pakistan PM’s visit to Nepal since he was the first top foreign dignitary to visit the Himalayan nation following the swearing-in of the new government. During his discussion with the Nepalese leadership, Abbasi stated that his government was keen to host the 19^th SAARC Summit and asked Nepal, the current Chair of the grouping, to create a ‘favourable environment’ for the same.

The summit was to be held in November 2016 but India pulled out following a terror attack on an Indian Army base at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir.

Subsequently, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan also expressed their inability to participate in the summit, citing various reasons, primarily the environment in the region.

According to the SAARC Constitution, its summit must be attended by heads of state or government of all the eight-member countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives.

Since then, Pakistan has tried to build a consensus in favour of the summit but has not succeeded in its attempts.

Observers say a SAARC Summit is highly unlikely in 2018 or even in 2019 since Pakistan will witness elections later this year. India will go into the election mode by the end of this year for the Lok Sabha polls next year.