SAARC faces irrelevance as Pakistan blocks revival, says ABPLive

The Story in Brief

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is fading due to a decade of summit-level paralysis, news.abplive.com reports. Pakistan's reluctance to engage constructively and cross-border terrorism are the main hurdles, the outlet says. India insists on a terrorism-free environment for cooperation. Intra-SAARC trade is below five per cent, far less than ASEAN's 25 per cent or the EU's 60 per cent. Smaller members like Maldives, frustrated with stagnation, have tried to mediate between India and Pakistan. The 100-acre South Asian University campus in New Delhi stands as a rare symbol of what regional collaboration could achieve.