Bangkok: Despite heavy lobbying, Pakistan on June 18 failed to gain entry into the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum (ARF) with a consensus eluding the key twenty-three member security grouping on lifting the moratorium on its expansion at its meeting in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

The move followed an effective intervention by External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha who contended that mandatory procedures had not been followed before the issue of ARF expansion came up for consideration.

With the Minister quoting extensively from earlier decision other to emphasise the principles, criteria and procedure of the grouping, there was no opposition to Sinha's assertion.

"There was no consensus on the expansion of ARF or on lifting of the moratorium," Indian sources said adding the issue has been put off and no new members added to the forum.

This will be reflected in the report of the ARF chairman, currently Cambodia. US Secretary of State Colin Powell is among a host of top leaders attending the meeting.

Malaysia, part of the 10-member ASEAN, had strongly pitched in for Pakistan joining the ARF while several other members like Australia, New Zealand and the European Union insisted that Timor should be made member in the event of the moratorium being lifted.

PTI