The Foreign Office on Wednesday clarified why Pakistan did not attend a video conference of trade leaders from Saarc countries organised by India.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that such a conference could be effective only if it is organised by Saarc. She said the conference was not organised by the Saarc Secretariat therefore Pakistan did not attend it. She said that Saarc Secretariat should be able to play an effective role in such activities. She said that available platforms should be used to address the critical issues facing the region.

India had convened a video conference of trade leaders from Saarc countries as part of its efforts to deal with the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.