Dhaka: Amid mass pull out by member states, Pakistan on Friday officially postponed the 19th SAARC Summit, saying a new set of dates will be announced soon, reports UNB.

‘A new set of dates for holding the 19th SAARCC Summit at Islamabad will be announced soon through the Chair of SAARC, Nepal,’ Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammed Nafees Zakaria was quoted as saying.

Accordingly, Pakistan has conveyed their latest position to the Prime Minister of Nepal, the current Chair of SAARC.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson said the 19th SAARC Summit was to be held at Islamabad on November 9-10 this year and the Prime Minister of Pakistan was looking forward to welcome the SAARC leaders for their participation in the Summit.

‘All preparations had been made for successful holding of the Summit in a befitting manner,’ Radio Pakistan reported quoting the spokesperson.

Pakistan said it attached great importance to regional cooperation under the umbrella of SAARC. ‘It’s committed to the SAARC objectives for promoting welfare of the people of South Asia, improving their quality of life, acceleration of economic growth, social progress and cultural development.’

Pakistan also said they remain committed to hosting the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad at the earliest so that the objectives of regional cooperation under the SAARC umbrella can be pursued more vigorously.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka joined four other South Asian countries to express its reservation over the upcoming 19th SAARC Summit, saying the prevailing environment in the region is ‘not conducive’ to holding the Islamabad Summit in November.

‘Sri Lanka regrets that the prevailing environment in the region is not conducive for holding the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad on 9th and 10th November,’ said the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Friday.

The General Provisions of the SAARC Charter require that decisions at all levels shall be taken on the basis of ‘unanimity’, and this applies to the convening of meetings of heads of state or government of SAARC member states as well, said the statement.

‘Peace and security are essential elements for the success of meaningful regional cooperation for the benefit of the people of South Asia,’ it reads.

As a founding member of SAARC, which is committed to regional cooperation, Sri Lanka hoped that the steps required to ensure the region's peace and security will be taken to create an environment that is conducive to the pursuit of regional cooperation.

Sri Lanka also condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and stressed in this regard, the need to deal with the issue of terrorism in the region in a decisive manner.

Earlier, four more members of the regional body -- Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Afghanistan - pulled out of the SAARC Summit.

Meanwhile, a journalist at the regular briefing at the UN headquarters raised the issue on Thursday and sought UN comment on apparent vulnerable structure of the regional cooperation body.

In response, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, said: ‘We're obviously following this situation with great concern concerning the increase of tensions across the Line of Control.’

He, however, said he had not seen the reports of the cancellation of the SAARC Summit but said the UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan, UNMOGIP, is aware of the ceasefire violations and right now is liaising with the concerned authorities to obtain further information.

‘The United Nations calls on the governments of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and encourages them to continue their effort to resolve their differences peacefully and through dialogue,’ he added.

Earlier, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam on Wednesday said the decision to boycott Islamabad SAARC Summit is purely Bangladesh's own decision.

‘It (BD decision) has no relation with other countries' decisions. It’s our own decision,’ he had told reporters at his office at the Foreign Ministry.

Without taking any name, Shahriar said a particular country's repeated attempts to interfere in Bangladesh's internal affairs has created an environment which is not conducive to successful holding of SAARC Summit.

The summit is automatically postponed or cancelled if one member country skips the event, Kathmandu Post reported on Wednesday.