NEW DELHI May 4: India today rejected Pakistan s demand tor raising bilateral. issues in the SAARC forum, saying The lime was not- ripe for it" and there was no agreement among members for changes in the SAARC charter, reports PTI.

Addressing a press conference at tlie end of the three-dhy eighth SAARC summit here Primt Minister P V Naiasimha Rao asserted that forcing the issue will not work" and any change in the charter, which precludes raising of bilateral issues, would have to evolye over a period of lime. • •"

Pakistan President Farooq Leghari, on the opening day of the summit had. without mentioning Kashmir, demanded ili.it the SAARC charter should be amended to allow members to raise bilateral Issues

Rao said the SAARC members were of the view that certain Issues, mainly economic and commercial which could not be solved bilaterally could be taken up at the multi lateral level.