India’s growth key for SAARC nations: Pakistan High Commissioner

The Dollar Business Bureau Pakistan on Monday called India to strive hard for achieving higher growth rates, saying that the growth of Indian economy is key for South Asia and the entire SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). The Pakistan High Commissioner, Abdul Basit called on India to make sure it achieves key economic goals, while expressing confidence that ‘If India rises, the entire SAARC region will also rise with India’. The official further said that there is a need to create a level-playing field and inter-dependencies among the SAARC nations, saying these two factors form the basis for modern economic diplomacy. Stating that politics often drums economies, the Pakistan High Commissioner expressed hope that the economic development in the SAARC region will not get subdued under the political pressure. In this regard, he stressed that there is a need to be more realistic in sharing perspectives towards promoting regional integration. The Pakistan High Commissioner also hoped that New Delhi would achieve its growth targets in the coming years. In view of the 19^th SAARC summit that is going to be held in Pakistan in the coming year, the Pakistan official also expressed confidence that the SAARC region will also achieve its growth targets in the coming months and years. Meanwhile, as a part of its contribution to the SAARC development, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is working with the SAARC countries towards the development of a dedicated satellite for SAARC region. A S Kiran Kumar, chairman, ISRO, informed on Saturday that the discussions over the process are already on with the SAARC members, focused on the exact ways for utilization. The configuration and system will be decided soon and then, within 18 months, the SAARC satellite will be launched, the ISRO Chairman added. The development of an ISRO satellite dedicated to SAARC nations comes in line with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s commitment aimed at playing a key role in South Asian region.    

This article was published on March 30, 2015.