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SAARC Summit postponed

By Toufique Imrose Khalidi
The Seventh SAARC Summit scheduled for December 12-13 in Dhaka has been deferred by. a month, Foreign-Minister ASM Mostafizur Rahman said last night. The summit may begin January 9.
The decision came formally from Colombo since Shri Lanka is still the chairman of the Association, the Foreign Minister told The Dally Star.
However, Rahman said, the two day meeting of the Council of Minister of which the Foreign Minister are members will be held as scheduled, beginning Thursday.
The Bhutanese Foreign
Minister is already in the city and the other five minister including Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Raghunandan 1^1 Bhatia are scheduled to arrive 1n the city today.
Bhatia 1s to reach Dhaka at 3 in the afternoon.
Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao's Inability to attend the annual event due to what a senior Indian High Commission official said a very fluid situation" in his country after Friday's demolition of a 16-century mosque at the temple town of Ayodhya has led to the postponement only
three days before schedule
The smashing of the mosque by Hindu militants has been described as the most shameful national event since the assassination of Indias liberation hero Mahatma Gandhi
Rao. who heads a minority government, faces the tough est test of his 17 months In power over the issue. The 71 -year-old Prime Minister, a sea soned politician who served as a successful Foreign Minister under the governments of Indira and Rajiv Gandhis. Is being blamed for failing to take pre-emptive steps to save the
disputed shrine.
The event has evoked sharp criticism from his opponents who have demanded that he quit, and angered the Muslims who make up 12 per cent of the country's electoral population.
According to dlplomatic sourves in Dhaka . the decision was finalised in the evening yesterday and afterwards a formal announcement was mark from Colombo.
ihe sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the announcement followed "consultations' at the highest political level.
According to some sources. Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia had a telephonic conversation Monday night with her Indian counterpart during which they reportedly discussed the fate of the summit.
However, when asked at the press briefing in the evening yesterday. Foreign Secretary Reaz Rahman did not confirm the telephone talks. T am not aware of it.' he said.
Responding to volley of questions from reporters, the Foreign Secretary did not rule out the possibility of the post ponement, although he stressed that the meeting of
the Council of Ministers were on schedule
But be remained non-committai as before: I m not in a position to say whether the summit will be held or not.*
Then he hastened to add. "Let me make It clear that as far as Bangladesh government is concerned, we have made all the arrangements and we are ready to hold the summit. This is the position as of now "
The Door Darshan, the Indian national television network, however, reported in the evening that the summit had been postponed.
In Dhaka, rumours were rife throughout the day that summit was about to be pul off.
Meanwhile, the Standing Committee is drafting its report to be placed before the Council of Ministers, a SAARC Secretariat official said last night.
The Standing Committee that has been dealing with a long agenda including most substantive matters is to finalise its report today, the concluding day of Its three- day meeting ahead of that of the Council of Ministers