India, Pakistan must shed enmity to revive SAARC

By Ritu Raj Subedi
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, December 22, 2018
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The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has virtually become a lame duck association following the postponement of its scheduled summit in Pakistan in 2016, but its leaders have not stopped offering diplomatic platitudes to try and resuscitate it. 

Despite having huge potential to economically and socially integrate the region, the SAARC has failed to yield desired outcomes. And amidst deepening uncertainty on its future, the SAARC member states have observed its 34th Charter Day, with heads of government expressing their commitment to its common objectives and vision. 

Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli said the SAARC, as a common forum of South Asian countries, would continue to enhance understanding among its member states. "Regional cooperation in South Asia is not a choice, but a necessity," he added.

Nonetheless, the ongoing deadlock has prevented the SAARC nations from making regional cooperation a reality. As the current chair, Nepal is desperate to revive the stalled SAARC process as well as pass the baton to Pakistan, but India's apparent reluctance to energize it has left it in limbo. 

Pakistan is now looking to Nepal to oil the wheels of the SAARC. In his recent meeting with former Pakistani PM Yusuf Raza Gilani in Kathmandu, Oli assured him that Nepal would facilitate from its side to hold the 19th SAARC Summit in Pakistan and urge India to participate in it. Sad to say, Nepal's diplomatic efforts have not come to fruition.

The SAARC Charter itself does not allow its members to discuss bilateral and contentious issues. It states that "decisions at all levels shall be taken on the basis of unanimity." If one member disagrees on any issue, such as holding the annual summit or including particular content in the declaration, other members cannot push them unilaterally.

The SAARC is now unable to see momentum on par with other regional bodies such as ASEAN or the European Union and it is crystal clear that without improved ties between India and Pakistan, the SAARC is unlikely to gain ground. 

A flicker of hope has emerged in India-Pak ties with Imran Khan elected the new premier of Pakistan. He has since expressed his desire to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue with India. In a major development, Pakistan opened the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate the visa-free movement of Indian Sikhs to their religious site in Pakistan last month. India also reciprocated Pakistan's groundbreaking decision that has remarkably thawed tension between the two neighbors. 

Will this development improve India-Pakistan relations, thereby accelerating the SAARC process? This is yet to be seen. However, the Kashmir issue has always been a major pain point in their bilateral ties since their independence. This has prevented them from accruing benefits from their bilateral and regional relations.  

Nonetheless, time has come for both neighbors to put aside their severe differences and work together to activate the SAARC. This association comprises the world's largest number of poor people, yet carries with it immense prospect of mutual trade, connectivity and economic prosperity.

Even if India is inclined to bypass the SAARC and promote the sub-regional groupings such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Initiative, it can hardly stay away from several SAARC mechanisms and programs to which it is strongly associated.

This can also be gauged from Indian PM Narendra Modi's Charter Day message. While promising to boost regional cooperation and integration, Modi mentioned an array of initiatives such as the launch of the South Asia Satellite, the extension of India's National Knowledge Network to South Asian countries and the South Asian University, as well as the SAARC Disaster Management Centre (Interim Unit) which India has fully or partially funded. "They are geared towards promoting people-to-people contact and connectivity in the region," he added.

The 19th SAARC Summit, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in 2016, was postponed for an indefinite period after India walked out of it, blaming Pakistan's hand in the terrorist attack in Uri of India-administered Kashmir. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives quickly followed suit, however, Nepal and Sri Lanka extended their support to Pakistan in its bid to host the Summit.

Adopted by the heads of state and governments at the first SAARC Summit in Dhaka on Dec 8, 1985, the Charter heralded the start of a new era of regional cooperation in South Asia. The SAARC nations are bound by a shared culture and history but the lack of political trust and shared vision towards a win-win development has badly stunted its natural growth.

Ritu Raj Subedi is an associate editor of The Rising Nepal.


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