Peace in Saarc states stressed: Public dialogue
KARACHI,April 12: Former Foreign Secretary Najmuddin A. Shaikh called for developing common interests in the region and setting issues among the Saarc states to strengthen this eight-nation block.
He was speaking at a public dialogue on ‘New dimensions of Saarc’, organised on Thursday by the Pakistan Press Foundation here at its Vicky Zeitlin Media Library.
Mr Shaikh said commonalties needed to be developed to explore huge potential of the large market of the region. Rejecting the notion that the confidence building measures (CBMs) between Pakistan and India had benefited India alone, he observed enhancing people-to-people contacts between the two countries would ultimately benefit the people, especially the divided families on both sides of the border.
The advancement of Saarc mainly depends on Indo-Pak relations, he added saying that enormous advantages lied in trade ties but until political issues were not settled it was not easy to tread on this path.
Mr Shaikh said that there was no importance of geo-strategic significance of Pakistan if it was not used. Quoting example of Turkey, he said whole infrastructure could be developed by using this route.
He lamented that only five per cent total trade volume of the region took place between the Saarc members while rest of share was enjoyed by other countries.
Sardar Mohammad Ashraf, former president of the AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that potential of bilateral trade between Pakistan and India, if legalised, was about $100 billion. If we managed to export only one to two major export items e.g. automobiles then Pakistan would be in a gainful position, he added.
He said that presently India was strictly favouring the present status of boundaries. Even marginal improvement in Indo-Pak relations should be considered as significant achievement in this backdrop, he viewed.
Mr Ashraf said that the Saarc region, once world’s major trade route had tremendous natural resources with abundant potential of human resources. He said that $30 billion foreign direct investment required upgraded infrastructure in Pakistan.
He stressed the need for putting political mindset aside to solve matter of Indo-Pak trade, as presently the volume of illegal trade and smuggling between the two countries is $7 billion per annum.
Dr Talat Wizarat, chairperson, KU’s International Relations Department, regretted there had been no significant achievement on account of Saarc since its inception. Commenting on important issues between Pakistan and India and the Saarc members, she said matters regarding subsidies in trade, water issues, cooperation for environment protection, food security and civil nuclear energy should be taken into account.
About the future of Saarc, she observed integration of regionalism was a must and it was not contrary to globalisation.
Political analyst and senior journalist Shamimur Rehman said that the Saarc forum should elaborately evolve and define the term ‘terrorism’. He also called for developing a mechanism on terrorism before start of the next summit in Maldives. PPF Director Samina Ishaq facilitated the dialogue.–PPI
Source: Dawn
Date:4/13/2007
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