Kathmandu,Nov 28:  Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has clarified that India has not pressurised Nepal’s leaders to reach an understanding in order to bring out a new constitution in consensus.

Responding to a question during a press briefing on Thursday evening at the end of the 18th SAARC Summit, Koirala said, “As a neighbour, we need to take others’ advice but it’s up to us to decide how to promulgate our constitution.”

Earlier, Indian PM Narendra Modi had said on Tuesday evening that the parties should avoid polarisation in the constitution drafting process and there should be minimum consensus.

“We are committed to promulgating the constitution on time,” said Koirala. “It’s for us to decide its basis or modality.” He said the parties were committed to the January 22 constitution deadline and were seeking consensus for that. Koirala heaved a sigh of relief that the Saarc Summit went well despite the political transition in Nepal. “The framework agreement on energy cooperation is important for us in particular and the region as a whole.”

Stating that the member states had decided to forge consensus within three months on Saarc Motor Vehicle and Railway Agreements, he said the two pacts would be signed in due course of time.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the summit earlier, Koirala—who chairs the Saarc—said the journey of the grouping has shown that regional cooperation becomes meaningful, effective, and mutually beneficial in an environment of peace, stability, harmony and trust. “However, despite potential, our achievements stand short of expectations. We alone are responsible for the shortcomings.”

He added that better connectivity is crucial for enhancing trade, deepening economic linkage and promoting people-to-people contact—the basic prerequisites for creating an Economic Union that the members aspire to.

Koirala expressed his confidence that the ongoing reforms in Saarc process and mechanisms would serve as important steps towards making the organisation more effective and efficient.

In his final  address, Koirala appealed to all the Saarc leaders to “summon the political will, confidence and sense of urgency to translate the Saarc visions and commitments into action and strengthen the organisation”.   Ekantipur