New Delhi, Sep 19 (UNI) India on Wednesday snubbed Pakistan for its inaction against cross border terrorism and said there will be no change in Indian position vis-a-vis South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation unless there is "an end" to cross border terror menace.
"....the government of India's position as of now (on SAARC) is that unless there is reduction or end to the cross border terrorism, we see no purpose of having a regional meeting," a government source said here.
The source, however, declined to confirm or deny on the possibility of a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the SAARC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in New York.
"I really can't say much on this matter except to say that the External Affairs Minister's schedules are being prepared....So we are not in a position to comment on any individual meeting she may or may not have," the source said.
The comments came even as India and Pakistan are 'reportedly' in discussion through their respective missions for a possible 'interaction' between the two foreign ministers since the change of guard in Pakistan.
The annual SAARC meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session is slated for September 27. Ms Swaraj may leave for New York at the end of September.
Meanwhile, in yet another dastardly act Pakistani troops have slit the throat of a BSF jawan head constable Narendra Kumar along the international border near Jammu.
Official sources said the body of Kumar also bore three bullet wounds and it could be retrieved from a spot ahead of the Indo-Pak fence only after over six hours of search.
The government representative, however, remained cautious about possible breakthrough saying he is "not in a position to say what will come out from the informal meeting of SAARC foreign ministers in New York".
Pakistan is slated to to host the SAARC Summit, but since Uri terror strike that killed 17 Indian army personnel in September 2016, New Delhi is leading the boycott of such a regional meet in Islamabad.
The Minister of State for External Affairs Gen VK Singh has in last few days slammed Imran Khan regime saying it was 'propped' up by the Pakistan army and nothing has changed in that country.
There is also a stalemate on the issue of opening the Kartarpur corridor for helping pilgrims visit the esteemed Gurudwara, located about 120 KM from Pakistan.
In fact, India and Pakistan has not had any substantial dialogue since 2012.
The two sides had inched forward for kicking off a renamed Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue, but it too got stalled after the Pathankot terror attack in 2016.
The US recently said it would support a peaceful dialogue between India and Pakistan.
UNI DEVN SY 2051