“Increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in India and growing interference in the internal affairs of several member-states by Pakistan are not conducive for the future of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).” Explain with suitable examples.
Subtopic: International Relations · SAARC & regional cooperation
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234 words · target 200 words · 14 min
Introduction
SAARC, founded in 1985, was designed to build a cooperative South Asia, and its charter deliberately keeps bilateral disputes off the agenda. Pakistan's reliance on cross-border terrorism and interference in the internal affairs of member-states has nevertheless paralysed the grouping.
How Pakistan's conduct undermines SAARC
- Cross-border terrorism against India: the Pathankot airbase attack and the Uri attack (2016) by Pakistan-based groups led India to withdraw from the 19th SAARC Summit at Islamabad; Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan followed, and no summit has been held since Kathmandu (2014).
- Interference in member-states: sustained patronage of the Taliban–Haqqani network destabilised Afghanistan, while Bangladesh expelled Pakistani diplomats over alleged links with militant financing networks.
- Blocking regional connectivity: Pakistan scuttled the SAARC Motor Vehicles and Railways Agreements at the 2014 summit, pushing India towards the sub-regional BBIN initiative instead.
- Opting out of common goods: Pakistan stayed out of the India-funded South Asia Satellite (GSAT-9, 2017) meant for all SAARC members.
- The resulting trust deficit keeps intra-regional trade below 5 per cent of South Asia's total trade, leaving SAFTA grossly underutilised.
Conclusion
Terrorism as state policy has hollowed out SAARC's founding premise of collective regionalism, prompting India to invest in BIMSTEC and its Neighbourhood First policy. India's proposal of a SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund in 2020 showed the platform retains utility when obstruction is bypassed. SAARC can revive only if Pakistan verifiably abandons terrorism and interference; otherwise the organisation risks permanent irrelevance in a region that most needs integration.
What an examiner expects to see
- SAARC Charter excludes bilateral and contentious issues, yet Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has made normal functioning impossible — the 19th Islamabad Summit (2016) collapsed after India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan pulled out post-Uri.
- No SAARC summit has been held since Kathmandu 2014, making it the least functional major regional grouping.
- Pakistan's interference: support to the Taliban–Haqqani network in Afghanistan; Bangladesh's expulsion of Pakistani diplomats over militancy-financing links.
- Pakistan blocked the SAARC Motor Vehicles and Railways Agreements (2014), forcing sub-regionalism via BBIN.
- Pakistan opted out of the South Asia Satellite (GSAT-9, 2017), rejecting even non-contentious common goods.
- Intra-SAARC trade remains under 5% of members' total trade against over 25% in ASEAN, showing the cost of the trust deficit.
- India's response: de-hyphenating regionalism from Pakistan through BIMSTEC, BBIN and Neighbourhood First.
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Pathankot (January 2016) and Uri (September 2016) attacks traced to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed groups
- Collapse of the 19th SAARC Summit, Islamabad (November 2016) after a four-nation pullout
- SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement vetoed by Pakistan at the 18th Kathmandu Summit (2014); BBIN MVA signed 2015
- South Asia Satellite GSAT-9 launched May 2017 with Pakistan opting out
- BIMSTEC leaders invited to the 2019 swearing-in ceremony of the Indian PM, signalling the pivot away from SAARC