ISLAMABAD, Feb 7 (Millat + APP): The speakers at a panel discussion have urged the South Asian states to provide all individuals with the opportunity to live in dignity, and to realize their full potential as enshrined in the Charter of SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Countries).
They said, in an increasingly developed world, the objectives of peace, freedom, social justice and economic prosperity are best achieved in the South Asian region by fostering mutual understanding, good neighbourly relations and meaningful cooperation among the member states which are bound
by ties of history and culture.
The panel discussion on “SAARC: Its Impediments and Way Forward”, 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 ever joint venture.
This event was held at Hotel Galadari, Colombi, on February 6, a message received here on Tuesday said.
The panel of speakers comprised of several high profile Sri Lankan and Pakistani experts including Secretary Defence Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Former Secretary General of SAARC Ambassador Nihal Rodrigo, Director General of INSSSL Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, Dr. Syed Rifaat Hussain, Mr. Ikram
Sehgal and High Commissioner of Pakistan Maj. Gen. (R) 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 media personnel.
In his opening remarks, the High Commissioner of Pakistan underscored that unless strong commitment was shown by all nations in the region towards respecting and honoring sovereign equality, the progress of SAARC will keep getting hampered.
It is imperative that India and Pakistan being the
biggest economies must solve their bilateral issues, he added.
He emphasized that “the road to peace and prosperity in
SAARC lies through Srinagar”.
Secretary Defence and Chairman INSSSL, Eng. Karunasena
Hettiarachchi, in his keynote address, stated that as one of
the poorest regions in the world, with 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 prioritize the Sustainable Development Goals 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 of SAARC to combat terrorism.
SAARC needs to expand its vision and be more inclusive
and open to establish new linkages with interactions among
private and informal sectors being important, he stated.
Former Secretary General SAARC, Amb. 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 due to bilateral issues between Pakistan
and India although, it is mentioned in the SAARC Charter that
the organisation should not be hostage to bilateral problems.
He further stated that 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.
Director General of INSSSL, Mr Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
began his presentation with a quote from Late Lakshman
Kadiragamar whose foresight is evident in the unfolding of
recent events in the region.
He also said that the first challenge at the face of
South Asia is apprehending the volatile global order. Bringing
to the fore a novel concept, Technocracy he said, can be
argued to be a viable model in resolving the issues besetting
the region as Liberal democracy has proven to be a model that
does not deliver efficient results.
Asia could drift towards a technocracy – a model
operated by technical experts and expert government servants
which deliver quick results, he stated.
When considering the greatest problem plaguing the
region which is poverty, he quoted President Maithripala
Sirisena who has rightly declared 2017 as the year of
eradicating poverty in Sri Lanka.
Head of Department of Government Policy and Public
Administration NUST University Pakistan, Dr. Syed Rifaat
Hussain, while elaborating on the Indus Water Treaty between
Pakistan and India, said that in spite of this Treaty which
was signed in September 1960 to settle the issue of water
distribution between the two countries, remains a contentious
issue.
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 utilization of water.
Senior Analyst and Chairman Pathfinder Group, Pakistan,
Mr 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
SAARC and prosperity of the whole region.
He stressed that we have to look at the positivities and
emerging economic opportunities in the region and beyond.
There was a very interesting and fruitful discussion
that followed with many questions being directed at the
panelists.
Among them was a statement which brought to the fore
that the agenda of the BJP had hegemonic designs not only in
respect of Kashmir but would like to extend India’s borders
from Afghanistan to Thailand.
The panelists duly noted the concern, however suggested
that a party does not represent the view of an entire state.
This marked the conclusion of a very productive event.