Pakistan in Regional

Affairs
Pakistan’s Role in the Region
SAARC
Common Features

Area of
involvement: The idea first coined in 1980 and
Economic Founded in 1985 first summit held in Dhaka on
Development December 8,1985.

Facing Similar Problems:

Poverty,
Hunger All member
Diseases
SAARC
states
Illiteracy situated in
Political and technological
backwardness
SA

Represent 3 major
religions:
All member Comprises
states got 2 billion people. Islam
Independence One fifth of Hinduism
from British World’s
Rule. Population Buddhism
INTRODUCTION
• SAARC is an eco-political organization of 8 South Asian nations, which was established on 8
December 1985 for friendship and cooperation among themselves and with other developing countries.
• Covering a population of more than 2 billion, SAARC is the largest regional organization in the world.
Origin & PRINCIPLES of SAARC
• Idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was discussed in at least three conferences: 1-the Asians
Relations Conference in New Delhi in April 1947 2-the Baguio Conference in the Philippines in May 1950,
3-the Colombo Powers Conference in April 1954
• The first concrete proposal for establishing a framework for regional cooperation in South Asia was made
by the late president of Bangladesh, Zia-ur-Rehman, on May 2, 1980. Its 7 founding members are : Sri
Lanka, Bhutan , Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India.
• PRINCIPLES ▪ Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political equality and independence of all
members states. ▪ Non-interference in the internal matters. ▪ Cooperation for mutual benefit. ▪ All decisions
to be taken unanimously. ▪ All bilateral issues to be kept aside and only multilateral issues to be discussed.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
• To promote welfare and quality of life of peoples of south Asia.
• To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development .
• Strengthen selective self-reliance among the countries of south Asia.
• Understanding and appreciation of one another's problems.
• Strengthen cooperation among themselves as well as with other developing countries and international
and regional organizations
• Maintain peace in the region.
MEMBERS & OBSERVERS
• CURRENT MEMBERS 1. Afghanistan ( joined in 2007 ) 2. Bangladesh 3. Bhutan 4. India 5. Maldives
6. Nepal 7. Pakistan 8. Sri Lanka
• OBSERVERS 1. Australia 2. China 3. European Union 4. Japan 5. Iran 6. Mauritius 7. Myanmar 8. S.
Korea 9. USA
• SAARC: Areas of Cooperation

▪ Agriculture & Biotechnology ▪ Trade & Finance ▪ Education ▪ Information , Communication & Media ▪
Science &Technology ▪ Energy & Environment ▪ Tourism & Social Development ▪ Culture ▪ People-to-
People Contacts
 MINISTERIAL MEETINGS
• Rawalpindi Resolution: August 1996
• Related to the issue of children rights. Declaration of safeguarding of rights of children to an education plus
curbing child labor.
• Environment Ministers meeting: April 1997
• Reaffirmation of goals of international conventions. Proposal for environmental safeguarding of South Asian
seas.
• Commerce Minister’s Meeting: May 1998.
• Held in Geneva right after the WTO ministerial meeting. Joint statement demanding the rights of developing
nations..
CONTD.
• Islamabad Declaration: July 2005
• Related to health issues. Agreement to setup Expert Group on Population to aide sharing of expertise
and experience related to population issues. Emphasis laid on achieving the MDGs (The Millennium
Development Goals) and on allocating a larger share of GDP on health-related matters.
• Cooperation in Counterterrorism: Colombo 2009.
• Ratification and implementation of SAARC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal
Matters.
• Establishment of High-Level Group of Eminent Experts.
 Achievements
• ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
• 1. SAPTA (SAARC preferential trading arrangement) was signed on 7 December 1995
• 2. SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) was signed in Islamabad in January 2004
• 3. (SCCI) SAARC chamber of commerce and industry
• 4. (SADF) SAARC constitutes South Asian Development Fund . Signed an agreement of mutual assistance. Avoidance of double taxation
were signed.
• LITERACY & EDUCATION ▪ Establishment of a Common University for Education in Delhi, 2013
• POVERTY ALLEVIATION Regional food security essence . Promoted global objective of shelter for all.
• TERRORISM & DRUGTRAFFICKING ▪ Convention on terrorism was signed in November,1987 ▪ SAARC convention on narcotic
drugs signed on November 1990 ▪
• (STOMD) SAARC terrorist offences monitoring desk ▪ (SDOMD) SAARC drug offences monitoring desk.
Pakistan’s role in SAARC
• Pakistan suggested that women participation in SAARC related activities. Pakistan assembled ministerial level meeting on
“ International economic issues ” at Islamabad in May 1986. Pakistan has organized vast number of activities under the IPA
for this Pakistan doubled its share from 19100 tons in South Asian food security resources.
• Pakistan assigned highest priority to the eradication of drugs abuse and drugs trafficking through effective regional co-
operation. Pakistan is second largest contributor towards all SAARC related activities as well as towards the budget of the
SAARC secretariat.
• Factors responsible for SAARC failure
• Political instability, Trust deficit & lack of social cohesion. Bilateral relationships within the region & varying visions for
the SAARC. Observers often refer unsolvable Indo-Pak relations as main hurdle towards regional integration in SAARC.
India tries to dominate the function and activities of SAARC . Lack financial constraints & of political co-operation
ECONOMIC
COOPERATION
ORGANIZATON
INTRODUCTION
• The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is an inter-governmental organization involving seven
Asian and three Eurasian nations part of the South-central Asian Union.
• It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade, and investment
opportunities.
• The common objective is to establish a single market for goods and services, much like the European
Union.
 HISTORY
• ECO's secretariat and cultural department are in Tehran, its economic bureau is in Turkey and its
scientific bureau is situated in Pakistan.
• The organization was founded by Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.
• Economic Cooperation Organization is an inter- governmental regional organization established in
1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural
cooperation among the member states.
Pakistan’s Role in ECO
• ECO currently is engaged in energy crisis resolution and meetings are being held in Tehran.
• And by resolving this problem all the members will facilitated by it specially Pakistan. Because besides
the potentiality of the country in many a sectors still they are not operating at an efficient level which is
required according to the current need of the scenario.
• Pakistan’s potential in telecommunication, agriculture, food, industry, trade and many other sectors
made it significant as it can play its role for the betterment of rest of the member nations by providing
them with assistance financially and technically both.
Shanghai-
Cooperation-
Organization
SCO
• Originally organized as the Shanghai five in 1996.

• The organization added Uzbekistan in 2001.

• Renamed Itself Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
• SCO is intergovernmental organization composed of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Uzbekistan. Founded in Shanghai in 2001.
• It has two new acceding members India and Pakistan.
CONTD.
• HEADQUARTERS OF SCO • Two permanent headquarters:- 1. The secretariat in Beijing. 2. Regional
anti-terrorist structure (RATS) in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital.
• GOALS OF SCO
• • Originally formed as a confidence-building forum to demilitarize borders. • It functions as forum to
strengthen confidence and neighborly relations among member states. • To promote cooperation in
politics, trade, economy, energy, culture to education and transportation. • It has intensified its focus on
regional economics initiatives like the recently announced integration of China-lead Silk Road
economic belt. • Primary objectives of SCO is to promote cooperation on security related issues,
namely, to combat “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism.
SCO AND PAKISTAN
• Pakistan has been an observer with the SCO since 2005. • Pakistan applied for full membership of the organization in 2010. •
Pakistan became full member of SCO at Astana summit Kazakhstan on June 9, 2017.
BENEFITS OF JOINING SCO membership is significant for four reasons:
1. Relationship with China is strengthened. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is already included in China’s Belt and
Road Initiative as a flagship project.
2. The membership upgrade from Observer to full member is a message to the world that attempts to isolate Pakistan
diplomatically will not bear fruit that Pakistan is siding with the right powers at this critical juncture and is on the right side of
history.
3. It is an opportunity for Pakistan to increase trade volumes and economic ties with Eurasian countries which didn’t quite show up
on Pakistan’s radar earlier.
4. It allows Pakistan to sort out bilateral issues with neighboring India, which also became the Full Member in Astana Summit.