Continued tensions

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has refused to attend the two-day Saarc finance ministers’ meeting in Pakistan

The tension brewing between India and Pakistan over the volatile Kashmir situation is casting its baleful influence on the progress of a key regional grouping as well. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which was conceived as a launching pad for giving regional trade a much-needed shot in the arm and greater cooperation and connectivity among its member states, has often been held hostage to the bellicosity between New Delhi and Islamabad, the grouping’s two principal players. In a latest sign of toxic ties, Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has refused to travel to Pakistan to attend the two-day Saarc finance ministers’ meeting, which began in Islamabad on August 24. His finance secretary has instead come to attend the meeting, which is to discuss measures seeking enhanced trade and commercial ties among the Saarc member countries.



This no-show is certainly a setback to the grouping, which has thus far failed to serve as an engine of regional growth and unlock the great potential it has of boosting business among member states on the model of Asean, a success story. This non-participation in an important Saarc meet by a key Indian minister is giving credence to the suspicion that New Delhi may be preparing ground to pull out of the Saarc summit slated to be held later this year, although Pakistan is still upbeat that the conference will go ahead as planned. Islamabad, being the chairperson of Saarc, is holding a series of meetings before the summit to be held in November. Earlier this month, Islamabad hosted a meeting of Saarc interior ministers and Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to Pakistan despite the strain in ties. However, his visit ended in more hostilities between the two neighbours as he used the Saarc platform to accuse Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism. His strong-worded statement drew a tit-for-tat response from Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, who raised the issue of the ongoing human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir. All this has muddied the waters much and does not bode well for the prospects of the regional grouping, which is struggling to make a fresh start for the journey its planners had originally embarked upon.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2016.

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