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Josy Joseph in Kathmandu
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's seat at the SAARC summit has a peculiarity that probably reflects the dilemma facing the regional forum.
His seat is little raised than the chairs of other six leaders. The reason is purely medical, his knee problem. But it symbolises the predicament of SAARC summit that begins a day late on Saturday, devoid of warmth and cooperative spirit as India strikes a high moral ground and Pakistan develops cold feet.
Tensions between India and Pakistan and the tit-for-tat actions taken by both the countries has been dominating the build-up to the summit, and it promises to be that way when the summit finally gets underway on Saturday.
But, other member states are little uncomfortable about the entire development, though Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has called for bilateral talks between India and Pakistan to defuse tensions.
But the possibility of a private one-to-one meeting between Musharraf and Vajpayee got effectively ruled out with the cancellation of the day-long retreat at the picturesque Nagarkot Club, which was scheduled to be held on Saturday.
At the resort, elaborate arrangements had been made for creating a conducive atmosphere for talks.
There again the sofa for Vajpayee was little higher than that of other leaders.
Besides Vajpayee, Bangladesh Prime Minister Khalida Zia too has a medical problem, suffering an arthritic knee.
Both India and Bangladesh had refused wheelchairs offered by Nepalese authorities to ferry their leaders from the private helipad near the hotel to the meeting room.
The two leaders had wanted to exhibit their determination by climbing the steps.
The authorities had also taken care to provide rooms to Musharraf and Vajpayee in two different floors at, so as to avoid any accidental contact.
With the Nagarkot meeting off the schedule, there seems to be little that is left to make the summit memorable.
Except for the verbal dual between an angry India and a cornered Pakistan.
Related Reports: Talks key to resolving issues: Musharraf SAARC summit inauguration postponed till Saturday Musharraf expected to set the tone at SAARC summit Was Musharraf's flight to Nepal deliberately delayed?
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