In a panel discussion on “SAARC: Its Impediments and Way Forward”, the speakers at urged the South Asian states to provide all the individuals with the opportunity to live in dignity, and realise their full potential as enshrined in the Charter of South Asian Association of Regional Countries (SAARC).
The panel discussion was organised by the High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka and the premier national security think tank, Institute of National Security Studies Sri Lanka (INSSSL) as their first joint venture.
The speakers said that in an increasingly developed world, the objectives of peace, freedom, social justice and economic prosperity can be achieved by fostering mutual understanding, good neighbourly relations and meaningful cooperation among the member states of the SAARC.
The panel of speakers comprised of several Sri Lankan and Pakistani experts, including Secretary Defence Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Former secretary general of SAARC Ambassador Nihal Rodrigo, INSSSL Director General Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, Dr Syed Rifaat Hussain, Ikram Sehgal and High Commissioner of Pakistan Syed Shakeel Hussain.
The event was attended by a cross section of diplomatic corps, senior military officers, members of academia and other dignitaries, Pakistani community in Sri Lanka and the media personnel.
In his opening remarks, the High Commissioner of Pakistan underscored that unless strong commitment was shown by all the nations in the region towards respecting sovereign equality, the progress of the SAARC will keep getting hampered.
It is imperative that India and Pakistan, being the biggest economies, must solve their issues, he added. He emphasised that “the road to peace and prosperity in the region lies through Srinagar”.
Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi, in his keynote address, stated that being one of the poorest regions in the world and the number of people below the poverty line rising every year, we are a long way from reaching the target of poverty alleviation.
Thus, it is imperative for member states to cooperate and prioritise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further the development agenda.
He further highlighted that in South Asia, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the worst victims of the affliction of terrorism and given the severity of this issue, it is important to continue and strengthen the relationships among the member states to combat terrorism.
SAARC’s Former Secretary General Nihal Rodrigo said it was very unfortunate that the SAARC Summit which was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in 2016 was first delayed and then cancelled because of deteriorating relations between Pakistan and India, even though it is mentioned in the SAARC Charter that the organisation should not be hostage to anyone’s issues.
He further stated that the SAARC should adopt a global approach and should focus on a wide range of activities like poverty alleviation, improvement of the health sector, trade and commerce in the region.
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera said that the first challenge to tackle these problems is apprehending the volatile global order. A reasonable way would be to adopt technocracy – a model operated by technical experts and expert government servants which delivers quick results, he stated.
When considering the greatest problem plaguing the region which is poverty, he quoted President Maithripala Sirisena who has declared 2017 as a year of eradicating poverty in Sri Lanka.
Dr Syed Rifaat Hussain of NUST University, Pakistan, while elaborating on the Indus Water Treaty between Pakistan and India, said water distribution remains a contentious issue despite a treaty which was signed in September 1960 to settle the issue between the two countries.
He highlighted that South Asia is a water scarce region and it could be the cause of future conflicts with a possible nuclear war between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue itself. Therefore, SAARC countries should cooperate with each other to ensure equitable and efficient utilisation of water.
Ikram Sehgal in his presentation, underscored that among the unresolved problems in the region, the core issue of Kashmir must be addressed to ensure the smooth functioning of the SAARC and prosperity of the whole region.