Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi  invited India to virtually attend the much-delayed SAARC summit.

Speaking at a press conference, Qureshi said that India can take part in the summit virtually if it does want to attend it in person over COVID concerns.

India, however, said it has not received any formal invitation yet.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional grouping that comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It has not been very effective since 2016 as its biennial summits have not taken place since the last one in Kathmandu in 2014.

The development comes days after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed hope that his country would host the summit when the “artificial obstacle” created in its way is removed.

Khan had underlined that SAARC can provide a conducive and beneficial atmosphere to build economic synergies which can transform the quality of life of the people of South Asia.

He also “emphasised on strengthening cooperation on issues of common interest including climate change, education, poverty alleviation, energy integration and health challenges,” the Foreign Office quoted him as saying.

The 2016 SAARC summit was supposed to be held in in Islamabad on November 15-19, 2016.

However, after a terror attack on an Indian Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to “prevailing circumstances”.

 The summit was cancelled after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also refused to participate in the Islamabad meet.