India lodges protest against Pak over POK minister's presence in SAARC meet in Islamabad

The protest note was lodged at the SAARC secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal.

WION accessedthe Indian protests in which it said that Pakistan had invited renegade entity from the area of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir which is under illegal occupation of Pakistan. Such step by SCCI(SAARCChamber of Commerce and Industry)is in violation of the SAARC charter and principles, India stated.

SCCI has breached guidelines and obligations meant for SAARC apex bodies by indulging in political activities, India said in its letter.

India asked for "strict action" from SCCI.

Pakistan foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua had said last week that Islamabad was ready to host the South Asian summit, two years after India had pulled out after the terror attack on the Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in September, 2016.

Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also decided to stay away from the meeting.

Last month PM Modi had turned down Pakistan's invite for the SAARC summit, speaking on Pakistan announcement, India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had said unless and until "Pakistan stops terror activities in India, there will be no dialogue. So we will not participate in SAARC."

Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli had said earlier that his country was ready to facilitate the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Pakistan.