Bangladesh and Pakistan Pursue Saarc Revival Amid India’s Ongoing Concerns

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus has approached Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif for assistance in reviving the dormant Saarc, which has been inactive since 2016 due to India’s security concerns over Pakistan’s terrorism support. India has been resistant to the revival, citing the need for a secure environment free of cross-border terrorism. However, with both Bangladesh and Pakistan facing economic challenges, they are keen to explore the potential benefits of Saarc, despite India’s firm stance.

Bangladesh’s Caretaker Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus recently engaged in dialogue with his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, to garner support in revitalizing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), a regional grouping that has remained inactive since 2016. This initiative marks a notable shift in Bangladesh’s stance on Saarc, particularly following years of tensions rooted in India’s concerns over Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism. Saarc, comprising eight South Asian countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—was established in December 1985 and has its secretariat located in Kathmandu. The impetus for this revival comes in the wake of a deteriorating economic situation in Pakistan, which has turned to external assistance, including loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Despite Pakistan’s ongoing advocacy for Saarc’s revival, India steadfastly opposes such efforts. This reluctance stems from India’s past experiences, particularly after the 2016 Uri attack, which claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers and prompted New Delhi to abstain from the Saarc summit that year. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has articulated India’s position, stating, “We cannot tolerate a situation where terrorism happens by night and trade happens by day.” Following the meeting on September 25, Yunus has indicated his commitment to reviving Saarc, proposing that it could potentially serve as a model for regional cooperation akin to the European Union. He has already initiated discussions on economic cooperation with Pakistan, highlighting investment opportunities in sectors such as textiles and leather. As both countries seek to rejuvenate their economies, their pursuit of a revitalized Saarc underscores a significant contrast between the economic imperatives driving Bangladesh and Pakistan and India’s consistent security concerns, which cast doubt on the viability of geopolitical cooperation in the region. While Yunus and Sharif’s discussions indicate a resurgence of interest in Saarc among Bangladesh and Pakistan, India remains unlikely to re-engage unless significant progress is made in addressing its security apprehensions regarding terrorism, which continues to impede the possibility of fruitful regional cooperation.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) was formed in 1985 with the aim of promoting regional integration in South Asia, yet its effectiveness has been consistently hampered by geopolitical tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan. The group’s inactivity since 2016 is attributed largely to India’s withdrawal from discussions following a terrorist attack it linked to Pakistan. The current economic challenges faced by Pakistan and the shifting political landscape in Bangladesh, especially with Yunus taking office, have prompted renewed efforts from both nations to explore regional collaboration through Saarc, despite India’s reservations.

In summary, while Bangladesh and Pakistan are eager to revive Saarc as a platform for regional cooperation and trade, India’s firm stance on combating terrorism poses a significant barrier to the organization’s renewal. The dialogues initiated by Bangladesh’s Caretaker Prime Minister Yunus and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif signify a strategic pivot by both nations toward economic revitalization through Saarc, yet it remains contingent upon addressing the fundamental security issues that India perceives as hurdles to cooperation.

Original Source: www.indiatoday.in