Abstract
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has not been emerged as an
effective regional organization such as the EU and ASEAN. Despite taking several initiatives in
this regard, it has not achieved the desired objectives set for at the time of its establishment. Over
the thirty years it has become hostage chiefly by the Pakistan-India antagonistic relationship. On
the basis of interviews of the Key Informant (KIs) this article investigates the causes for the lack
of momentum of SAARC and explores the prospects for SAARC as vibrant economic group of
the South Asian nations. Furthermore, the study finds that lack of implementation of SAARC
declarations, conflicting issues between India and other neighbouring countries and strict
SAARC visa regime are important barriers in enhancement of regional co-operation in South
Asia. The article recommends that SAARC countries may enhance regional cooperation by
managing bilateral conflicts particularly between Pakistan-India. The article also discovers that
bilateral economic co-operation between Pakistan and India has spillover effect on the
enhancement of regional economic cooperation in South Asia.
Tahir Ashraf, Md. Nasrudin , Md. Akhir. (2017) Revisiting SAARC: A Perspective from Pakistan, South Asian Studies, Volume 32, Issue 2.
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