RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA WITH

REFERENCE OF SAARC

Usman Ibraheem (1023)

Ameer Hamza (1046)
Talha Shahzad (1041)
Maham Shahzadi (1005)
Fatima Gull (1002)

Abstract
It is quite rare for a positive development to follow a summit in the history of the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), given the longstanding bilateral
animosity between India and Pakistan. This animosity has slowed progress on a range
of issues, especially regarding free trade in South Asia. The relationship between India
and Pakistan has had its ups and downs due to territorial and naval disputes, allegations
of cross-border terrorism, disagreements over sharing of river waters, and trade
restrictions. The SAARC aims to promote economic cooperation through free trade in
the region, making economic ties between India and Pakistan of great significance.

Introduction
SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) is an association which was
established on December 8, 1985. It was initially established with the signing of the SAARC
charter in Dhaka in 1985 (about 30 years ago). Regional organizations are developed for the
development of any area through collective efforts. The concept of SAARC was first given by
President Zia-Ur- Rahman of Bangladesh in 1980. He has the main objective that if we
implement the idea then it would not only offer economic growth in this sector but also reduce
the political issues. After the long debate, foreign sectaries of seven states conducted a meeting a
Colombo in April 1981. In this meeting, all the members decided which should be the areas of
cooperation, so five areas were selected which are
 agriculture
 rural development
 telecommunication
 health and population
SAARC is comprised of eight member states as follows:
 Afghanistan
 Bangladesh
  Bhutan
 India
 Maldives
 Nepal
 Pakistan
 Sri-Lanka
The headquarters of the SAARC association was set up in Kathmandu, Nepal on January 17,
1987.
SAARC has been a platform for leaders from India and Pakistan to meet and talk. It helps them
start conversations, find solutions, and resolve their differences. These meetings between the
heads of governments also energize the relationship between the two countries. It sets a
framework for their diplomatic establishments to work on and maintain bilateral relations.
Sometimes, the meetings between the leaders outside of SAARC summits get more attention in
the media than the official meetings of the organization itself.

Formation of SAARC:
At the end of the 1970s, seven South-Asian nations which include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Pakistan, Maldives, Bhutan and Sri-Lanka agreed upon the formation of a joint platform for the
people of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding. After a
series of diplomatic consultations led by Bangladesh, between South-Asian UN representatives
from 1979-1980, it was agreed that Bangladesh would prepare the draft of working papers for
discussion among foreign secretaries.
In 1983, the foreign ministers of these 7 countries adopted the declaration of the South Asian
Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and launched the Integrated Program in the five
initial areas: Agriculture, Rural Development, Telecommunications, Meteorology (health) and
population activities.
Officially, the union was established in Dhaka on December 8, 1985. The headquarters was in
Kathmandu, Nepal.
Objectives:
 The objectives of SAARC which were mentioned in the SAARC charter are as follows:
 To promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to raise their quality of life.
 To make the progress of economic growth, social progress and their cultural development
faster.
 To provide all individuals with an opportunity to live with dignity and realize their full
potential.
 To promote and strengthen self-reliance among the South-Asian countries.
 To develop mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of each other’s problems.
  To enhance mutual assistance in different fields like the economic, social, cultural,
technical and scientific fields.
 To strengthen the cooperation among these countries in international forums and other
developing countries on common interests.
 develop relations with other regional and international organizations
SAARC SUMMIT
The SAARC summits have played a role in shaping the relationship between India and Pakistan.
Each summit has had its own significance in landmark developments. For example, the first
summit in Dhaka in 1985 helped to normalize the ties between the two countries after a conflict.
And the fourth summit in Islamabad led to the signing of an important agreement on non-nuclear
aggression.
Similarly, the tenth summit in Colombo in 1998 took place shortly after both countries
conducted nuclear tests. It was a bit tense, but the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif helped to thaw the relations and
paved the way for Vajpayee's bus diplomacy to Pakistan and the signing of the Lahore
Agreement.
The eleventh summit in Kathmandu in 2002 also played a significant role in diffusing tensions
between the two countries after conflicts and attacks. It led to a symbolic handshake between the
leaders on the sidelines.
Moving forward, the 2004 summit in Islamabad saw the signing of an important agreement
called SAFTA, which aimed at enhancing economic integration among the South Asian
neighbors. It also initiated a dialogue process to address major issues between India and
Pakistan, such as Kashmir, Siachen, and cross-border terrorism.
The sixteenth summit in Thimphu in 2010 helped reopen talks and improve the strained
relationship after the Mumbai attacks in 2008. It was a step towards thawing the bitterness.
These summits have provided opportunities for dialogue, agreements, and confidence-building
measures between India and Pakistan, helping to shape their relationship.
Promoting Regional Identity
SAARC has had a positive impact on the relationship between India and Pakistan, but not just at
the political level. It has actually brought people from different countries in South Asia closer
together, creating a sense of regional unity and friendship. SAARC has provided a common
vision for the people to aim for, which includes peace, prosperity, and regional integration. It has
also promoted cooperation in various sectors and led to increased interactions between the
people of India and Pakistan. SAARC has even given rise to initiatives like specialized centers, a
food bank, a development fund, and a university focused on South Asia. These efforts have
helped foster a regional civil society that works towards finding solutions to problems that affect
the entire region. For instance, the Himal South Asian magazine, started by Kanak Mani Dixit,
covers issues that impact the whole South Asian region. So, in simpler terms, SAARC has
brought people together, encouraged cooperation, and allowed for regional problem-solving.
Relations between Pakistan and India: Ups and Down
We've noted downs and ups in associations between Pakistan and India because of cross border
terrorism, nonmilitary and territorial conflicts, and swash water trades. The SAARC South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation targets at promoting fiscal cohesiveness through free
indigenous trade, accordingly, the fiscal connections between Pakistan and India were of great
significance.
For a long time, Islamabad didn't consider Indian in the MFN (most Favored Nation), according
to the World Trade Organization rules due to some ongoing issues regarding the Indian border
state Jammu and Kashmir. In 1995, India granted Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to
Pakistan.
The variations over assiduity hit SAARC during discourses on free and discriminative trade
proffers. Reducing the veritably long story relatively short, the quantum of intra-regional trade is
extremely small in South Asia in discrepancy to the ASEAN, EU, etc. Due to issues between
India and Pakistan, as well as concerns by smaller countries about India's trade dominance. The
17th SAARC 2011summit, after the bilateral match that took place in Pakistan, the authorities in
Islamabad concluded to entitlement India into MNF. latterly, India dropped non-tariff
concessions on trade with Pakistan to ameliorate the quantum of trade. Both nations have agreed
to get the number of products on the table of tradable particulars by 2012.
It's an offer for Pakistan as well as India, and indeed for SAARC. The sceptics could refuse the
fiscal cohesiveness between Pakistan and India performing in enhanced relations in the long run.
nonetheless, the India- Pakistan hostility is at the coming position since both nations have fought
wars, which includes one of the leading showdowns and the issues to be answered. nonetheless,
the rearmost advancements produce some kind solicitations for the same.
A significantly lower congratulated is the worth of multinational discussion boards with a
companion to furnishing' informal' chances to governments to talk about bilateral problems. For
illustration, the procedure of bilateral' peace' discourses between Pakistan and India is stalled
following the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in the time 2008, though the leaders of both nations
have saluted on the eschewal of bound of multinational conversations, especially SAARC.
The Prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gillani and Dr. Manmohan Singh have met four times in the
period of smaller than 3 times, including doubly during SAARC Summits (Thimphu 2010 and
Addu 2011). The meeting in Thimphu was a discovery because that paved the way for a clerical
meeting on dissolving the pressures over the issue ofcross-border terrorism. The meeting
between at the clerical position couldn't produce any results for the asseveration of Pakistan to
resolve the Kashmir disagreement. The meeting in the Maldives in 2011 had its own significance
because this time both countries met in the terrain of some sanguinity with reference to
perfecting both sides tie after trade addresses and the decision of Pakistan’s to grant MNF to
India.
What an occurrence that right when the Islamabad- Washington relationship is at its smallest
eclipse, both side addresses between Islamabad and New Delhi are perfecting. The recent
developments, especially Pakistan’s decision to grant India the status of a utmost favored nation,
depicts the growing position of wisdom and literalism being in the political and policymaking
circles. Commonly, this progress is respected by the US, which needs the support of both India
and Pakistan after the pullout of colors from Afghanistan. The pullout of the US and the colors of
its abettors are anticipated to be completed by 2014.
If the Indian and Pakistan hostility is a restriction on the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) procedure than latterly the relationship in between the two might be a
long- awaited signal to action needed by the Association to legislate on using its docket on a
selection of problems, from terrorism and transactional crimes to provision of free trade.

INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS
Relations between India- and Pakistan require the center stage of South Asian tactfulness India
for the conformation of Pakistan partitioning because of the policy of two-nation proposition.
The first war in Kashmir and other problems between India and Pakistan created a sense of
instability in India. Relations between India and Pakistan numerous times were illustrated by a
pattern called on- war on- peace. Both nations are completely convinced in war phases without
concentrating on their separate profitable development. Both in need of achieving further
military superiority over each other.
Several Summit Conferences of SAARC could not be due to the Pakistan-India issues. The 12th
peak could not be held "In 2016, there was an interruption of two seasons in Islamabad. Indeed,
Indian and Pakistan leaders don't meet constantly under a single roof for a long time. Their visit
for any reason being bilateral or in related to indigenous conferences is veritably rare. From its
attempts to manage with the neighbors from a dominant position, India requires the untenable
stage of defying indeed the accepted multi-national indigenous issues only bilateral and
hydroelectric capabilities.
Both nations are continuously involved in erecting up high pressure. Pakistan's government is
constantly obsessed with to border state Kashmir. Due to this, both are forming situations for a
climactic nuclear showdown. The environment for the advancements is the reluctance of the
service and political leaders in South Asia to face changed realities.
“Forty per cent of the citizens of both countries live under the poverty line. Villages and small
cities don't have access to clean drinking water. The child mortality rate is high. Children who
survive have a life duration that's shorter than those in advanced societies, Both Pakistan and
India have a bottomless knowledge rate” (Afroze, 1995).
And so the position of force is constantly rising with inventions of new munitions with over-
going expenditures in the defense area, with an increase in the size of military magazines. The
security ways of Pakistan and India differ from one another as their public end and system of
performing are veritably different. India aims to be a leading nation regionally and globally, and
its protection strategy is based on the idea of dominance and expansion, which has led to the
perception of India as a mini-superpower in the region. its preventative constraint. It's driven to
slice out spheres of impact and it isn't ready to watch other nations in South Asia after a policy,
which may help it from reaching its public pretensions.
Pakistan Businessman is upset about Pakistan Markets being full of low-grade and cheap Indian
products. They want to maintain a secure business by avoiding any trade relations with India.
The conservative elements in Pakistan are also determined to protect Pakistan's ideological
borders, which they believe are under threat from India and the West.
South Asia is a region in which one substantiation’s figure- up of insecurity and extra-
parliamentary political violence, religious and insular conflicts, ethnical, mutinies, frequent
border skirmishes, medicines trade, rotation of small arms, procurement of nuclear magazines,
conservative arms race but presumably the most conspicuous problem which overshadows the
protection associations in South Asia is presumably the nuclear contest between India- and
Pakistan. The development of nuclear power in South Asia is a part of a larger reactive process
where competing countries have established nuclear programs.
Such openly stated nuclear power ability among India and Pakistan have provoked an unsafe
arms race and included an
astonishing dimension to an already volatile situation in the region. It is interesting to note that
there is an ongoing arms race between India and Pakistan, as well as increased defence spending
by the Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS). The 12th SAARC summit, which was scheduled to
take place in Islamabad from January 11-13, 2003, has been postponed indefinitely. This is the
third time since its inception in 1985 that SAARC has been affected by tensions between its
members. The previous summit in Katmandu in January 2002 had to be rescheduled multiple
times before it finally took place. According to Mohesin (2002), India and Pakistan, the two
nuclear nations in South Asia, ranked 115th and 127th, respectively, out of a total of 162 states in
terms of human development indicators in the year 2000.
Since the nuclear tests in 1998, India has significantly increased its military spending. The Indian
defense budget for 2001-2002
was set at 630 million rupees ($13 billion). This increased three times Pakistan's and followed an
earlier increase of 28 per cent
which was larger than Pakistan's total military budget. The issue of nuclear proliferation in the
South Asian region has been gaining importance since the end of the Cold War. Technology has
played a vital role in the development and construction of nuclear weapons. India and Pakistan
have been developing their own technologies to counter external threats, which has resulted in
the inception of nuclear weaponization in the region. This has become a significant problem for
policy planning and the development of SAARC due to the ongoing border disputes between
India and Pakistan.

SAARC and Trade between India and Pakistan

Trade is one of the major areas of profitable cooperation but before 1985, the intra-regional
SAARC trade was 2.5 percent of the world’s trade. The SAARC has taken an important way to
expand cooperation among members in the core profitable areas. An indigenous study conducted
on Trade, Manufacturing and Services (TMS) in 1991, was the first significant trouble to
strengthen cooperation in this important field through SAARC. The study outlined several
proffers and recommendations for promoting indigenous cooperation in this part of the world.
Feting the significance of profitable cooperation in South Asia, another high-switch Committee
on Economic Cooperation of the Commerce registers was established in July 1991 and the first
meeting of the Commerce Ministers of SAARC was held in New Delhi from January 8- 9, 1996.
After that, several clerical meetings were held including Islamabad and Dhaka meetings, which
concentrated on enlarging the compass and content of the indigenous profitable cooperation.
Indian exports to Pakistan weren't significant in the early eighties. There were nearly 2 million
in 1980 and around 6 million in 1983. These increased by 83 per cent in 1984 and hardly by 9
per cent in 1985. therefore, the data available about the pre-SAARC period indicated that Indian
exports to Pakistan were having a nonstop rising trend as they increased 5 times from the figure
of 1980 to 1985. This situation was changed in the post SAARC period. The exports increased
by 8 per cent in 1986 but dropped by 8 per cent in 1987. still, in the following times, there was a
significant increase in exports, which was 3 times more advanced than the previous position. In
1990, the loftiest exports were 43 million while in 1991; the exports came down to 38 million
due to the low growth rate. In coming times, mixed trends dominated this area but the commerce
and connections between the business communities increased on both sides of the borders. Indian
exports to Pakistan have now been constant due to the query and pressure in their relationship.
still, India’s significance from Pakistan was not only significant but also substantial among the
SAARC countries. There is a great compass for indigenous cooperation in the transnational
forums and common grievances of the member countries can be retaliated through the SAARC
platform. In the case of trade, SAARC has to lead member countries to a joint frontal vis- à- vis
developed world to ameliorate their trade relations.
In the late 2000s, the idea of indigenous cooperation in South Asia was again mooted when the
Indian President G.N.V. Sam path proposed the creation of a trade bloc, conforming of South
Asian countries. It is revealed that India and Pakistan two neighbors have to concentrate on hard
as well as soft issues. Through this forum, they've three areas for cooperation
 Fisheries
 Marine Environment
 Scientific Research
Scientific exploration offers a promising base for cooperation both in the sphere of fisheries and
marine environment.

Security Issues and SAARC Forum

Piecemeal from the objects and principles, there's a general provision in the SAARC Charter that
opinions on all matters would be taken unanimously but contentious and bilateral issues are
barred from the consideration of the association. This clause prevents Pakistan from getting the
support of the indigenous countries in its controversies with India. The pressure between India
and Pakistan and their stage on Kashmir are embedded deeply in the principle of the Two- The
Nation proposition. India considers the area an integral part of the Indian Union and none of the
accords has answered the Kashmir issue yet. Diversity of opinion prevails in both countries
regarding this particular issue and the region is facing security pitfalls. In this script, SAARC
needs to evolve such a security frame in indigenous terms that the maturity of countries tends to
be guided by its contra-regional battles and sweat perception. In history, political and security
factors similar to Pakistan’s entry into Western alliances or Indo-Russian alignment have
changed the foreign policy perception of these two countries to a lesser extent. The security of
the two countries is conditioned by their enmity towards each other.
United Nations wanted South Asia as a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone and a common stand on the
Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, the countries in the region have not been able to
establish a unified regional policy on these matters. Instead of achieving their goals, they are
engaged in efforts to win the support of nations outside the region. During times of conflict,
Pakistan has expressed concern over the safety of minority rights in India at the Organization of
Islamic Conference (OIC), showing sympathy for their plight. The two neighbors never
responded coherently to the Afghan imbroglio or US aggression against Iraq in 2003. Sri Lanka
attempted to gain support from extra-regional countries against India's intervention in its internal
affairs. However, the involvement of these external powers has more negative sides than
positive. The feeling that the extra-regional links would balance India’s dominant position in the
region is not compatible with the regional understanding of South Asia in which India has the
central role.

Major Issues of Conflict

 Kashmir Issue: Kashmir is the most critical issue between Pakistan and India. It's one of
the unsettled issues of the end of the British rule in India. Kashmir is considered to be an
integral part of India. So the issue of Kashmir has come to the scale of a disagreement
between India and Pakistan. So the period of 1990- 2000 has reflected the India- Pakistan
contentions that affected the South Asia region generally and the SAARC association
simply
 The Kargil Conflict: The fortified conflict between Pakistan and India took place in the
Kargil area of Kashmir in May- July 1999. The Kargil area involves high elevations,
glaciers and soppy areas that can no way be demarcated. Above Drass and Kargil, 500
square measures are the no demarcated area. It's delicate to keep a nonstop check in that
area during the whole time. All these areas are strategically important for India, because
of the road. “Sri Nagar-Leh Highway” which is generally known as “Indian National
Highway One-A” This road is used to supply food and service tools to Siachen and to
those divisions posted at Acsai- Chen. Indian review of the Hindustan Times wrote
“Worries of the conflict rising into another each-out war between a nuclear India and
Pakistan drew the attention of several world leaders. They appealed to the two countries
to admire the Line of Control and try to find an amicable result to this recent disaster in
the disputed region.” (The Hindustan Times, 1999).
  The Wullar Barrage Dispute: This Wullar shower disagreement arose in 1985. The
Wullar Lake design on Jhelum River Comprising a shower of 439 bases in length is being
constructed purportedly with a view to perfecting navigation, during the downtime
months between Wullar. Several addresses were held in posterior times but the impasse
has persisted” (Kumar, 1990).
 The Baghliar Dam Issue: This is another water- related issue that has a negative effect
on India- Pakistan relations. “Pakistan has expostulated to the Baghliar Dam, saying that
it can be used to store water from the Chenab River"(Dawn, 2004). On January 16, 2004,
Indian and Pakistan officers began accommodations in a trouble to resolve their
disagreement over a Baghliar Darn. It was stated that a result to the longstanding
Baghliar disagreement could be achieved on a “give and take” base.
 The Siachen Dispute: Another point of conflict is the Siachen Glacier. It's located where
the formal demarcation of the Line of Control in Kashmir ends. It's a large snow-covered
zone ahead of the last point of the Line of Control called NJ 9842 (Lavoy, 2009). At
present, the Indian Army controls the whole Saltoro crest. Since India managed to get the
upper hand, it presently controls all heights along the glacier on the Saltoro crest and uses
the glacier as a logistics base. (gk. today). Combat over Siachen took place in late 1987
and early 1988. Pakistan and India have also held consultations at the defence clerk
position to resolve this issues. “Five rounds of addresses were held, starting from January
1986 and ending in June 1989, at the end of the fifth round, both countries decided to
work towards the agreement of the Siachen argument predicated on the redeployment of
forces to the- Simla position to reduce the chances of conflict” (Pakistan Horizon, 1989).

Conclusion
In the former times, SAARC has made huge advancements owing to collaborative work as well
as the commerce presently being set in by the member countries. Although the development of
SAARC is an emotional action taken by the fore- runners of the region, the primary logical
behind its establishment is developing a conducive atmosphere in which all of the nations might
come together peacefully to develop supportable serenity with enhancing collective profitable
well- being by making use of accoutrements that are readily available in the region with the
tranquil practice of profitable cohesiveness. nonetheless, after over two decades of its
development, neither South Asian nation has been in a position to drive the procedure of
integration into full swing neither the group itself is now virtually acceptable to request
profitable integration as well as equilibrium for stopping controversies in the region. nearly
everything with SAARC is not caliginous. The establishment of this essential business is
substantiation that the indigenous neighbors wish to attain enhancement as well, actually, under
the IPA, the member lands have been cooperating in different community, profitable and
defended areas. We can be agitated about the future of SAARC since the two nations Pakistan
and India are on the means to move forward with serenity enterprise. We can wish for healthier
This indigenous business has entered the huge possibility of a face of changing fashion. The
individualities of South Asia are not apprehensive of the lost prospects for their substance and
weal. They are veritably well conscious of the benefits of better cohesiveness between the places
of South Asia. It's, accordingly, a moment tore-invent the trundle of South Asian identity via
enhanced citizen activism, that's going to lead to a much better setting for confidence structure
with the formal elites of South Asia.

REFERENCES
https://www.academia.edu/39014549/SAARC_An_Indo_Pakistan_relations_and_conflicts

https://www.ijariit.com/manuscripts/v5i1/V5I1-1268.pdf

https://www.academia.edu/39014549/SAARC_An_Indo_Pakistan_relations_and_conflicts/

https://www.gktoday.in/gk/siachen-glacier-dispute/

The Front Line. (1999, 07 17-30). Fortnightly.

The Hindustan Time. (1999, 07 20). India.

The India Today. (1999, 06 14). New Delhi

https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA253609191

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331302427_SAARC_and_Indo-Pak_Relationship

http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/pols/Currentissue-pdf/Musarrat8.pdf/

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!
&&p=2d774cd0382f0ce2JmltdHM9MTcwMzQ2MjQwMCZpZ3VpZD0yZWFkM2NiMC05Mzk3LTZiNTItMjY
5MC0yZjQyOTI2NDZhYmYmaW5zaWQ9NTE3Mg&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=2ead3cb0-9397-6b52-
2690-
2f4292646abf&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmVzZWFyY2hnYXRlLm5ldC9wdWJsaWNhdGlvbi8zMzEzMDI0
MjdfU0FBUkNfYW5kX0luZG8tUGFrX1JlbGF0aW9uc2hpcA&ntb=1

http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/pols/Currentissue-pdf/Musarrat8.pdf