Saarc foreign ministers (FMs) yesterday agreed in principle to award membership of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to Afghanistan but could not reach a consensus on the proposed observer status of China in the face of strong opposition from a member country.

The agreement and disagreement came last evening during an 'informal' meeting of the Saarc Council of Ministers comprising the foreign ministers of the member states, who will begin formal deliberations this morning at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.

India vehemently opposed the proposal placed by Pakistan and supported by the five other Saarc members to award an observer's status in the regional forum to China, a highly placed source told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.

India even refused to refer the matter to the regional heads of state and government, as the six other foreign ministers wanted, the source added.

However, all the seven foreign ministers agreed in principle to grant Saarc membership to Afghanistan, which had applied for it to the current Saarc chair, Pakistan.

If the Council of Ministers confirms the decision at its formal meeting today, it will then be placed for approval to the summit leaders on November 12-13. Sources said if the heads of state and government endorse the proposal, the next Saarc summit in India might grant Afghanistan the membership.

And if Afghanistan finally becomes a member of the forum, the charter and logo of Saarc will need to be changed, which seems time consuming, the source noted.

Earlier, while briefing journalists at Sonargaon Hotel media centre, Additional Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh AHM Moniruzzaman said the Saarc Standing Committee comprising the foreign secretaries in its meeting there yesterday did not reach any agreement about Afghanistan's membership or China's observer status.

He said a proposal has been made by a member state to include Afghanistan as the eighth member of Saarc, but Kabul has not sent any official letter yet seeking the membership. China, on the other hand, has submitted a letter requesting for the status of an observer or a dialogue partner of Saarc, he added.

Moniruzzaman said there is no modality or guideline in the Saarc charter regarding co-opting new member or awarding observer's status to any country. “So, right now it's not possible to give membership or observer's status to anyone,” he added.

He said the charter needs to be amended first for inclusion of a new member and subsequently the logo too has to be changed.

However, he said the Standing Committee members did agree to formulate the criteria and guidelines for awarding the status of observer and dialogue partner to any interested country.

"This matter will be sorted out in a special session of the Standing Committee,” he said.