REVIVAL OF SAARC

...TO CURB CHINA-PAKISTAN NEXUS TO SPRING UP ALTERNATE ALLIANCE IN THE SOUTH ASIAN REGION

- Col Rajesh Bhukar

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organisation of South Asian nations established on 8 December, 1985 to promote regional cooperation and development.

The SAARC consists of eight member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The primary goals of SAARC are to enhance economic growth, improve living standards, and foster peace and stability in the region through collaborative efforts in areas like trade, education, health, and infrastructure. In the beginning, despite extremely difficult political circumstances, SAARC has managed to create situations, institutions and forums where Heads of State could go into talks together. SAARC has tackled important topics for the region such as a social charter, development agreements and even the sensitive subject of fighting terrorism. SAARC Heads of State have been holding summits every two years but the last one was in Kathmandu in 2014. There has been no summit meet after cancellation of 2016 summit meet in Islamabad after a Pak sponsored terror attack in India. Thereafter, the SAARC has been on path of decline and almost getting irrelevant or, one can say, defunct. Most of the programs or activities are confined to holding seminars, workshops and short training courses. Political, diplomatic, and military tensions threaten the security and stability of the region. They are recurrent hindrances to economic and social progress and a threat to human rights and liberty.