SAARC never had a smooth sailing. Regional cooperation can be successful and meaningful only if all the member states have solid conviction of promoting regional cooperation and expand channels of trade and commerce to the benefit of the people of the region at large. This has been possible and that is why countries have been thinking in terms of regional alliances in trade, culture, technology sharing and numerous other activities. The problem with Pakistan is pathological. This country’s philosophy of statehood is based on hate India and oppose India. The hatred is so deep-rooted that when India offered help during the 2008 massive earthquake, Pakistan refused it while it continued to beg from European countries. In such a mindset, it is rather naive to think of SAARC really succeeding in making headway.
When the last SAARC summit was to be held in Pakistan, the jihadis sponsored by Pakistan launched an attack on Uri Brigade station in which 19 of our jawans lost their lives. India had to retaliate which is now better known as surgical strike. In the aftermath of this perfidy, India was in no mood to participate in the forthcoming summit of the SAARC. Consequently India informed Pakistan that she would not be attending the summit. Three or four more SAARC members also declined to participate and stood by the demand of India that terrorism should be liquidated from Pakistan. Now as a retaliatory measure, Pakistan has turned down the proposal of connectivity among SAARC members because if trade and commerce are to give a boost, it is but natural that we should have the trade routes or connectivity for that matter. By declining to concede the proposal of India and supported by some more members of the SAARC, Pakistan objected to connectivity proposal and thus cast its vote negatively. How can regional countries expect to develop and expand trade relations if they are not prepared to allow connectivity among them. Connectivity covers all the three channels, land, air and sea. In other words trade and commerce among the member countries can flourish only if there are land routes connecting them with one another.
Actually Pakistan’s problem is both India and Afghanistan. India may not be a co-religionist country although the second largest Muslim population in the world live-in India, Pakistan considers India an enemy that is hobnobbing with Afghanistan. In her search for space westward, Pakistan has been blatantly interfering in the internal matters of Afghanistan, trying to destabilize her. Pakistan was instrumental in raising the Taliban who toppled the popular regime of Dr. Najibullah and established conservative theocratic State with tacit support of Pakistan. The question is that Pakistan as a country sponsoring terrorism and sheltering terrorists on her soil cannot be expected to be a genuine partner in promoting trade, commerce, peace, connectivity etc in the region.
Talking to a think tank in New Delhi, Indian Foreign Secretary made it clear that SAARC was meant to promote trade and commerce among the member countries. It presupposed an atmosphere of peace and cordiality to give boost to trade. Connectivity was a condition of expanded trade and if Pakistan was not prepared to cooperate in search for routes of trade, then that makes things difficult for any member state to be positive on the aims and objectives of SAARC.
And finally if Pakistan persists with its rancour and animus and goes on blocking India from performing active role in SAARC, then India will have to focus attention on BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) for regional cooperation.
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