Pakistan foreign ministry is learned to be inviting Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for the SAARC summit next year in Islamabad, but just a day before India hit out the country for harboring terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2011 (26/11), killing more than hundred people.
Experts believe the invitation would be masterstroke by Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan to improve ties with India.
In 2016 several countries including India pulled out of the SAARC summit which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan due to security situation.
In recent years India had been blaming Pakistan for not reciprocating to holding dialogue amid border tensions. If India turns down the invitation, Pakistan will play the same card while taking forward regional integration process.
If India accepts, the Modi government needs to be rationally right in domestic politics to answer why to give Pakistan a second chance and this will carry risk in 2019 general election in the country.
Hence, if the invitation arrives it will be a difficult time for New Delhi.
Other SAARC members like Bhutan and Afghanistan does not enjoy good relations with Pakistan and they may convince India to turn down invitation.
Apart from all these, the SAARC is now more like a dead horse against contenders BIMSTEC and SCO. So the effort of Pakistan lacks substance.
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