ISLAMABAD: Diplomats, academicians and experts at a conference here emphasised collective regional approach in order to resolve pressing issues being faced by South Asia.

The conference,“Prospects and Challenges of Regional Cooperation in South Asia: Role of SAARC” was organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).

Dr Khurram Abbas, Director of the India Study Centre, ISSI, highlighted the importance of fostering a collective regional approach to address the pressing issues faced by South Asia. He pointed towards recent political developments across South Asia that were indicating an enabling environment for the revival of regional cooperation through Saarc.

ISSI Director General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood underscored the critical need for revitalising Saarc to address shared challenges and unlock South Asia’s potential. Reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the Saarc Charter, he emphasised the importance of evaluating the organisation’s achievements and finding new pathways to enhance regional integration. He highlighted Saarc’s accomplishments, such as the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) and the Saarc Development Fund (SDF) while acknowledging structural and political challenges that have hindered progress.

Say recent political developments indicate enabling environment for revival of cooperation through Saarc

Mr Mahmood noted that South Asia remains one of the least integrated regions globally, grappling with poverty, low intra-regional trade, and unresolved political disputes. Despite these constraints, he stressed the indispensability of regional cooperation to tackle trans-national threats like climate change, resource-sharing conflicts, and underdevelopment. He also expressed concern over the phenomenon of over-securitisation -- engulfing areas like trade, visas, and sports. It becomes even more disturbing while the ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy assigns the role of a “Net security provider” to one state in South Asia in contrast with the aspirations of other countries in the region.

Quoting recent guidance to the Saarc Secretary General given by Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Prof Mohammad Yunus, he emphasised the importance of functional collaboration in areas like climate change, sustainable development, and youth engagement to create a stronger, more impactful Saarc for the future.

Ambassador Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the historical significance of Saarc amid a myriad of issues looming on the region including climate change, food and health security, devastating economic indicators, neglected human security, among others. While stressing Saarc’s contributions to fostering cooperation among member states and the pressing need to reinvigorate it in light of contemporary challenges, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to uphold its charter, principles, and priorities.

Mr Siddiqui emphasised Pakistan’s considered approach to play its role in fostering a harmonious regional environment, where no single state could impose its agenda on the smaller counterparts. He evaluated the incremental resumption of Saarc activities since 2023, after a period of ineffectiveness due to bilateral issues, Covid-19 pandemic, and regional security problems. However, the organisation’s complete revival remains a rocky road. He called for the member countries to adhere to the principles of mutual respect and sovereign equality in their journey to make South Asia a prosperous, developed, and economically integrated region.

Dr Saeed Ahmad Rid, Assistant Professor Quaid-i-Azam University, discussed the historical pattern of socio-cultural and political linkages in South Asia, which were disrupted by the unnatural demarcations made by colonial powers, rendering its populace to the levels of underdevelopment. He outlined a number of steps in public and private arenas to enhance people-to-people connections among South Asian states.

Dr Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Associate Professor, National Defence College, UAE, said geographical, social, and political context made South Asia a unique region, and, therefore, it was not justified to draw a comparison between Saarc and other regional fora like the European Union (EU). He highlighted several structural as well as practical challenges restricting the efficient working of Saarc including competition between its members to find international markets outside South Asia, inter-state disputes, rising inclination among several members toward sub-regionalism, funding issues, besides others.

Babar Amin, a former ambassador of Pakistan, suggested that the Indian approach to regional integration was motivated by its political and ideological inclinations. While expressing disappointment over India’s decisions like denial of visa to Pakistani students studying in South Asian University, New Delhi, he stressed that civil society should play an active role in pressurising policymakers in New Delhi to revisit their approach.

Ambassador Yuba Nath Lamsal from Nepal said South Asian states and societies had more common characteristics than divisive issues. He emphasised that cooperation, and not competition, in South Asia could guarantee a better future to the forthcoming generations.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024