'One member blocked' Pakistan's participation in BRICS dialogue: Foreign Office

Islamabad:  A member of the five-nation summit BRICS "blocked Pakistan's participation" in a dialogue for non-member states held virtually on the sidelines of the event last week, the Foreign Office confirmed on Monday.

China is hosting the summit in its capacity as the chair of the group this year.  Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are the members of the BRICS.

On June 24, leaders of two dozen non-member countries of the BRICS' "High-level Dialogue on Global Development" attended the meeting virtually. However, Pakistan remained absent from the meeting.

The FO told reporters that "regrettably one member blocked Pakistan’s participation."

It is believed that the country blocking Pakistan's participation was India as both do not share a pleasant relationship and are embroiled in disputes, most prominently over the territory of Kashmir, that go back decades.

However, the FO continued, "we do hope that future engagement of the organisation would be based on the principles of inclusivity keeping in view the overall interests of the developing world and in a manner that is devoid of narrow geo-political considerations".

Pakistan then went on to congratulate China for successfully hosting the BRICS meeting.

"We appreciate China’s role in promoting the interests of the developing countries. Together with China, Pakistan has been a strong voice for global peace, shared prosperity and inclusive development. Pakistan is the current chair of G77+China and also part of group of friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI)," it said.

Accoriding to FO, Pakistan and China were all-weather strategic partners and their "iron brotherhood" was rock solid. "The two countries are fully committed to take our all-round cooperation to higher levels both bilaterally and multilaterally."