Q.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.

graph TD
    IP["Impact of Pakistan's Actions on SAARC"] --> UC["Undermined Credibility"]
    IP --> SS["Stalled Summits"]
    IP --> ET["Erosion of Trust"]
    IP --> SAG["Shift to Alternative Groupings"]
    IP --> LI["Lack of Integration"]
    IP --> PP["Policy Paralysis"]

Body

Impact of Pakistan’s Cross-Border Terrorism and Interference on SAARC

• Political Tensions Between India and Pakistan: Cross-border terror attacks originating from Pakistani soil, such as the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack, have severely damaged bilateral relations. This persistent hostility has made India reluctant to engage in high-level SAARC deliberations, leading to a diplomatic standstill.
  • Example: The 19th SAARC Summit, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in 2016, was indefinitely postponed after India and several other member states boycotted the event over Pakistan's support for cross-border terrorism.
• Security Concerns in Member States: Pakistan's interference in the domestic affairs of neighboring states like Afghanistan and Bangladesh—particularly through its support for extremist factions—has destabilized the region and weakened SAARC's collective security framework.
  • Example: Pakistan's historical links with the Taliban in Afghanistan have eroded trust among SAARC members, raising fears of regional terror contagion.
• Hindrance to Economic Integration: Security anxieties and political instability have blocked meaningful economic cooperation. Cross-border terrorism directly undermines initiatives like the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). Member states remain hesitant to deepen trade linkages due to security vulnerabilities.
  • Fact: Intra-SAARC trade languishes at less than 5% of the region's total trade, far below the integration levels seen in the EU or ASEAN.
• Decline of SAARC's Relevance: Frustrated by SAARC's paralysis, India has shifted its diplomatic focus to alternative regional forums like BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). This transition highlights SAARC's declining utility as a vehicle for regional problem-solving.
  • Example: The 2022 BIMSTEC Summit saw active engagement from India, signaling a clear preference for platforms free from bilateral obstructionism.
• Lack of Consensus on Counterterrorism: Pakistan's reluctance to cooperate on regional security initiatives has stalled collective anti-terror efforts. While India and other members have consistently pushed for robust counterterrorism frameworks, progress has been blocked by a lack of consensus.
  • Example: India's proposal for a comprehensive SAARC Counter-Terrorism Treaty has failed to materialize due to Pakistan's non-cooperation.
• Impact on Humanitarian and Development Initiatives: Bilateral friction has also derailed vital developmental and disaster-response initiatives. Cross-border disputes prevent SAARC from implementing coordinated mechanisms during regional crises.
  • Example: India's proposal for a SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund in 2020 received lukewarm support from Pakistan, illustrating how political divisions hamper humanitarian cooperation.
• Inconsistent Diplomatic Engagement: Pakistan's inconsistent participation, often driven by domestic political calculations, has prevented sustained dialogue, further eroding trust within the grouping.
• Regional Rivalries and Internal Conflicts: Beyond India-Pakistan tensions, Pakistan's interference in smaller member states, such as Nepal and Sri Lanka, has fueled regional mistrust and limited the scope of multilateral cooperation.

Way Forward for SAARC

• Restoring Political Will: Foreign policy experts like C. Raja Mohan advocate for de-escalating bilateral tensions through quiet diplomacy to revive SAARC, suggesting that smaller nations like Nepal and Sri Lanka could play a constructive mediating role.
• Complementing with BIMSTEC: Harsh V. Pant suggests that SAARC and BIMSTEC can coexist and complement each other, allowing members to collaborate on non-sensitive issues like climate change while sidestepping political roadblocks.
• Economic Integration: Arvind Panagariya emphasizes the need to expand and operationalize SAFTA to bypass political disputes and drive collective regional prosperity.
• Focus on Counterterrorism: Ajai Shukla recommends treating counterterrorism as a neutral, shared challenge, which could help rebuild trust and improve regional security.
• Developmental Focus: S.D. Muni suggests focusing on less contentious, shared developmental goals such as healthcare, disaster management, and climate adaptation.
• Empowering Smaller Nations: Smruti Pattanaik proposes empowering smaller member states like Bhutan and the Maldives to take the lead in agenda-setting, thereby diluting the dominant India-Pakistan binary.