Pakistan Seeks A Bigger SAARC; It Is Bound To Fail Miserably

After being slammed for supporting terror outfits by SAARC member states following the attack on Uri, Pakistan is now looking at its options to curtail influence that India has over the organisation. As a part of its effort, Islamabad is exploring the possibility of creating a greater South Asian economic alliance, one which can accommodate its only diplomatic ally, China.

"Apparently, the showdown forced Pakistan to conclude that in its present shape, SAARC will always be dominated by India. That's why they are now talking about a greater South Asia," said a senior diplomat, confirming reports that Islamabad is actively seeking a new regional arrangement.

A parliamentary delegation from Pakistan, with senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, is touring the US to talk about alleged Indian ‘atrocities’ in Kashmir. It was during a public meeting in Washington that Syed hinted at the idea of creating a wider union.

With the kind of support that India received from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and other regional players, Pakistan’s idea of a greater union is bound to fail. This attempt, at best, can be described as Pakistan's effort to bring China into the regional dimension.

"A greater South Asia is already emerging which includes China, Iran and the neighbouring Central Asian republics," said senator Syed. No doubt, Pakistan can’t stand its ground without leaning its back on China, and therefore the communists should be made a part. While China holds its back, the duo work in tandem to create trouble for India by not only sponsoring terror against the country, but also by effectively employing the propaganda machine.

Syed used the opportunity to prove yet again that Pakistan has reduced itself to a diplomatic proxy of China. He praised the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, falsely accused the Indian Army of interfering in India’s foreign policy decision making, and refused to accept that Pakistan is facing serious isolation on the international stage.

While this should not come as a surprise, a citizen of Gilgit Baltistan, who currently lives in the US effectively exposed Syed, while he was answering questions on Kashmir in a talk organised by the Atlantic Council. This is what Senge Hasnan Sering, the president of the Institute for Gilgit Baltistan Studies, said:

With inputs from IANS.