This is also the first time a king is attending the summit after the restoration of democracy in Nepal. The king's visit is amid mounting pressures from within and beyond the country against his direct rule, according to a report of News Line Nepal yesterday.

India postponed the summit, which was scheduled for February 9-11 in Dhaka, following the February 1 royal move for which the king is expected to garner additional support from the South Asian nations.

According to Nepal News, the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, one of the founders of Saarc, attended the first four Saarc summits before the establishment of democracy in the kingdom.

The then prime minister of the interim government Krishna Prashad Bhattarai attended the fifth summit, while former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala attended the sixth and seventh summit as the head of the government.

The then prime minister Manmohan Adhikari, who was leading the minority government of the CPN-UML, attended the eighth summit. The then prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand attended the ninth summit as the head of the coalition government.

Koirala also led the Nepalese delegation to the tenth summit, while Sher Bahadur Deuba attended the 11th and 12th Saarc summit.

Other Saarc heads of state and government who will be attending the 13th Saarc summit are Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, President of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonpo Sangay Ngedu.

The foreign ministers of the Saarc nations are set to arrive at Dhaka on November 10 as they have a meeting of the council of ministers on November 11.