Pakistan warned on Friday it would not accept preconditions for India’s attendance at a South Asian summit to be hosted by Islamabad early next year, AFP reported from the Pakistani capital.

“The government of Pakistan will not countenance any preconditions from any quarters merely to ensure their participation at the summit,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Pakistan is to hold the 12th meeting of the seven-nation SAARC and has proposed January 11 to 13 as possible dates. Earlier reports said India and Bhutan have yet to confirm their participation as five other member nations, including Nepal, have accepted the summit dates proposed by Pakistan.

India has yet to confirm its participation, saying that as little progress has been made on decisions agreed to at the last meeting in Nepal in January, a new summit would be meaningless.

Brajesh Mishra, a senior aide of Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told BBC’s “Hardtalk” on Thursday it would be “very difficult” for Vajpayee to attend the summit if key regional trade pacts were not implemented soon.

“We could consider it, but in the absence of any substance to the summit, of course it’s very difficult for the prime minister to go,” Mishra said.

The Foreign Ministry said preconditions for India’s participation “go against the letter and spirit of the SAARC Charter.”

A two-day meeting to create a free trade region in South Asia started in Kathmandu Friday.