President Zardari marks SAARC Charter Day with call for renewed regional cooperation

WEB DESK: President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday congratulated the governments and people of South Asia on the 40th anniversary of SAARC Charter Day, while urging member states to revive the long-stalled regional cooperation process.

In a statement, President Zardari recalled that Islamabad had hosted the 4th and 12th SAARC summits, but noted that the organisation has remained inactive for more than a decade. He attributed the paralysis to India’s refusal to participate in the 19th summit scheduled for 2016, which led to its postponement.

“The SAARC process has been in a state of stagnation for the past 11 years,” he said, adding that India’s approach continues to obstruct meaningful and stable regional collaboration. “Progress and peace in the region are unnecessarily held back.”

The president said that, amid this prolonged deadlock, discussions on alternative regional frameworks are gaining momentum. He added that the inclusion of countries such as Iran and China in regional connectivity efforts could significantly strengthen cooperation.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to a “comprehensive and cooperative regional system,” President Zardari said the country is ready to advance trade, transit and energy linkages across South Asia.

He stressed that the region’s challenges are shared, and therefore their solutions must also be collective. “With mutual respect and cooperation, South Asia can become more peaceful and prosperous,” he said.