ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT): The India Study Centre at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organized a seminar titled “Prospects and Challenges of Regional Cooperation in South Asia: Role of SAARC.” The event brought together diplomats, academics, practitioners, and researchers to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities for regional cooperation in South Asia under the framework of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Ambassador Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Additional Secretary, MOFA, featured as the keynote speaker, while the panel of distinguished speakers included Ambassador Yuba Nath Lamsal, Former Ambassador of Nepal; Ambassador Babar Amin, Former Ambassador of Pakistan; Dr. Zahid Shahab Ahmad, Associate Professor, National Defence College, UAE; and Dr. Saeed Ahmad Rid, Assistant Professor, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
In his introductory remarks, 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.
In his welcome address, DG ISSI Ambassador Sohail Mahmood underscored the critical need for revitalizing SAARC to address shared challenges and unlock South Asia’s potential. Reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the SAARC Charter, he emphasized the importance of evaluating the organization’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.
Ambassador Sohail 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-securitization — 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. Muhammad Yunus, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood emphasized 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. He concluded by urging SAARC member states to make collective efforts to prioritize regional collaboration over bilateral tensions and narrow interests, and focus on trust-building, economic cooperation, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges.
The keynote address was delivered by Ambassador Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan. In his insightful talk, he highlighted the historical significance of SAARC amid 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 SAARC in light of contemporary challenges, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to uphold its Charter, principles, and priorities.
Ambassador Siddiqui emphasized 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 positively 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 Organization’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 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 emphasized that the 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 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.
Ambassador Babar Amin suggested that 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 pressurizing policymakers in New Delhi to revisit their approach.
Ambassador Yuba Nath Lamsal from Nepal stressed that South Asian states and societies had more common characteristics than divisive issues. He emphasized that cooperation, and not competition, in South Asia could guarantee a better future to the forthcoming generations.
Following a lively Q/A session, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governors (BOG), ISSI, delivered the concluding remarks. He underscored the significance of regional cooperation as a pathway to sustainable development and peace in South Asia and expressed hope for a reinvigorated SAARC to advance these goals.
