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Journalism of Courage
The bonhomie at the foreign minister’s meeting in Islamabad should not make us forget that the SAARC process has just about begun to crawl after the hiatus experienced due to bilateral tensions and disagreements. So while General Pervez Musharraf’s plea for a role for SAARC in the peaceful resolution of disputes may carry academic logic, it is far removed from the realities of geography, history and politics. One look at the map would indicate that mere geography dictates that issues and disputes between countries in the region are essentially bilateral in nature since no country in South Asia is a neighbour to a country other than India. Most of the issues that have plagued bilateral relations are a consequence of the bilateral dynamics of geography and history. The improvement of peace and security bilaterally among neighbours would obviously lead to better chances of peace in the region.
At the same time, it is clear that if economic and trade relations among SAARC nations keep growing the incentives for the peaceful resolution of disputes would naturally grow. But there is the question of asymmetry of size and capabilities among member states. Pakistanis, even more than others, have been stonewalling moves towards more open trading regimes and economic cooperation, including commitments like the granting of MFN status mandated under the WTO. This is not to imply that the legitimate concerns about a much larger economy like India swamping smaller or weaker economies do not generate their own challenges and apprehensions. But, as the Sri Lanka experience shows, a free trade agreement between India and Sri Lanka has already proved beneficial to Sri Lanka in spite of the much-feared asymmetry. There are numerous areas where bilateral trade would, in fact, benefit the smaller partner.
