Shahbaz Sharif, Randhir Jaiswal and Muhammad Yunus.
In a nefarious move, Pakistan instigated Bangladesh to host the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting. The purpose was to tease India and provide a platform to Pakistan, but India has made it clear that it is not in favor of reviving the SAARC forum under the current circumstances.
In response to a question from TV9 reporter Manish Jha, Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that SAARC has cooled down in recent years and no one can hide the reasons. There are other regional cooperation platforms, such as BIMSTEC, which are more effective and relevant.
Randhir Jaiswal’s remarks are a heavy blow to the governments of Pakistan and Bangladesh, which are trying to realize their diplomatic ambitions through the SAARC meeting.
Yunus Sharif holds meeting in Egypt to discuss SAARC
On December 19, Bangladeshi Head of Government Mohammad Yunus and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held an important meeting in Egypt. The meeting discussed the issue of relaunching SAARC.
Pakistan Prime Minister suggested Bangladesh to host SAARC summit. Muhammad Yunus agreed, and both leaders talked about moving forward with the plan. Pakistan’s original intention is to take the opportunity of this forum to give isolated Pakistan the opportunity to strengthen its role in South Asia.
India’s position and influence
India clarified its position on the issue and said there was no reason to revive SAARC at present. The Ministry of External Affairs also pointed out that Pakistan’s role in SAARC has been controversial as the main reason for the organization’s inaction.
This had an immediate impact on the Bangladesh government as its plans were rendered ineffective due to lack of support from India. Moreover, Pakistan will realize that reviving a forum like SAARC is not possible without India’s consent.
BIMSTEC and SAARC: A strategy for India
India has prioritized organizations such as BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) in recent years. BIMSTEC is more influential and relevant as it includes South and Southeast Asian countries.
It can be seen from the inactivity of SAARC and the activity of BIMSTEC that India is moving towards a new platform for regional cooperation. This strategy is a step towards reducing Pakistan’s influence and promoting meaningful cooperation.
