Pakistan gets its official elected as Secretary General of SAARC

Pakistan has succeeded in getting its official elected to the post of Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Pakistan was backed by all members, including India, which made the selection consensus- based.

The new chief of SAARC, Amjad Hussein B Sial, is a veteran diplomat, who was expected to take charge a year ago. However, India’s tough stance on cross-border terrorism posed a problem for the candidate, who has been in waiting since March 2016.

Sources at the SAARC secretariat said the election of Mr. Sial was possible as India and Pakistan had indicated a greater willingness to allow SAARC to function.

Earlier, India opposed the holding of the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad in November 2016 after the terror strike in Uri.