The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation was founded in Dhaka in 1985 to enhance economic and political cooperation between the countries in South Asia. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives and India are its founding members and Afghanistan was included into the fold in later years. The countries launched South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006, but the organization has failed to achieve its goals. Even it could not hold its meetings on schedule mainly due to gloating posture of India on several occasions in the past. India has recently refused to participate in the 19th heads of the state meeting in Islamabad due to tensions on the Line of Control. Pakistan has also raised the issue of Kashmir freedom struggle on the every forum of the world which India did not like and cancelled the participation. On the footsteps of India, Bangladesh and India also refused to participate in the meeting, rendering the forum ineffective. All the goals and objectives of a common market, close economic cooperation and peace are shattered and Saarc as a organization has lost its utility.
As a matter of fact, Saarc is another casualty of the Indian hegemony which wants to remain in the fold to stop the entry of China into its fold. Only this is the Indian strategy which has kept the Saarc intact until now. Otherwise, India has no interest in this forum. Pakistan has now canceled the meeting of the Saarc after two more countries, Sri Lanka and Nepal showed their inability to attend the meeting. This has put last nail on the coffin of the Saarc body and it is the time Pakistan should expel India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the new axis of evil in the region, from the forum and bring Iran and China into the fold. Sooner Pakistan rid these three countries of the forum the better as the three countries are toeing the line of India leaving behind their national dignity and respect. Though the voices for a greater South Asia have already been emerging, the participation of Iran and China in the forum will make closer economic and trade cooperation between the countries in the region. Iran has expressed its desire to be part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Pakistan, China, Iran, Nepal are connected by land routes in the region and can benefit from the emerging forum. After the development of Gwadar, Sri Lanka and the Maldives will also benefit from the new Saarc forum.
Pakistan will not have any objection to the participation of India in the new forum, as it will not have daring effect due to the presence of China in the forum. A new forum is the only answer to economic and trade cooperation among the countries in the region.
