Speakers at the national conference on “Future Prospects of Regional Connectivity Through Dialogue in South Asia: Global and Strategic Perspectives,” organized by the Area Study Center for Europe, underscored the potential benefits of regional harmony among South Asian states. They emphasized that such harmony could lead to enhanced trade ties and the socio-economic development of the regional nations, painting a hopeful and optimistic picture of the future. The conference was held recently at the University of Karachi.
Speaking on occasion, Dr Khalid Iraqi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi, stressed the urgency of resolving the disputes among the regional states. He highlighted that the economic development of the South Asian region could be sustainably achieved only when these disputes are resolved, underlining the need for immediate action and the gravity of the situation.
He further said that the leadership with the states and various peace-mission platforms should actively play a crucial role in building trust among regional nations to achieve the region’s socio-economic development.
On the occasion, Nusrat Mirza, Chairman, Rabta Forum International, underscored the crucial role of strong diplomatic ties among the South Asian states in driving regional development on various fronts, including trade, economy, and tourism. This emphasis on the importance of their work and involvement in the process can make the audience feel valued and integral to the regional development.
Najam Uddin Sheikh, former foreign secretary, said that Pakistan’s state should resolve the core issue of Kashmir’s conflict with India to pave the way for meaningful regional connectivity with regional states. He added that Pakistan should also review its policy with Afghanistan to build strong ties with the neighbouring state based on mutual interest.
Qazi M A Khalil, the former diplomat, said Pakistan should review its foreign policies in light of the changing dynamics of geopolitics and geoeconomics, its strength through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and its crucial role in the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD).
Prof Dr Shaista Tabbasum SAARC played a pivotal role in regional connectivity, which should also address the emerging issue of global warming and climate change in the region. She said regional connectivity could also resolve the energy crisis in the area; however, the lack of trust between Pakistan and India is the foremost hurdle towards positive developments.
Addressing the conference’s concluding session, Prof. Dr Tanveer Khalid said the national conference discussed essential aspects of Pakistan’s foreign policies, which included valuable recommendations to state departments for shaping its working strategy in the future for building confidence-building measures, peace, and harmony among regional countries.
Uzma Shujat, Director at Area Study Center for Europe, and Syed Samiullah, Research Scholar at Rabta Forum International—were also speakers at the conference.
