Saarc 'charter day' is being celebrated here on Wednesday when this regional forum would complete its 25 years. PPP secretary general, Senator Jahangir Badr, will be the guest of honour for the event. Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan and other diplomats of Saarc countries will participate in the charter day function, organised by Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Saarc vice president Iftikhar Ali Malik will be chief guest of the charter day event. Speakers of the event include Saarc secretary general (Pakistan chapter) Iqbal Tabish, former secretary general (Pakistan chapter) Rehmat ullah Javed, Nasir Moeen of PIDE, and former president of FPCCI Zubair Malik.
Saarc was set up in 1985 with the objective to bring the regional countries closer and help them take each other's experiences and resources benefits. Although Saarc has made progress in some areas like exchange of frequent visits and to some extent better understanding among the respective governments, however, 25 years after it is yet to make substantial progress in key areas like removing hurdles hampering trade and investment among member countries. It has also not made considerable progress on visa policies for the benefit of the people of the Saarc region.
The Saarc charter day celebrations are also being made in other member countries to reaffirm commitment that all member countries to determined to achieve the goals set in its charter. Saarc has been a key forum to help its member countries' leadership sit at one table and discuss controversial issues, particularly in Pakistan and India's case whenever their bilateral ties in the past had a setback due to some untoward incidents.
Iftikhar said that the basic objective of Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry in organising Saarc charter day is to review what this vital forum has achieved so far and what could be the way forward to make substantial progress in key areas like having free trade among regional countries.
He said that Saarc member countries have great potential to supplement each other's efforts in making progress and provide their benefits to the people of the region at this point in time when no single nation could make progress at its own. In this world, each one country has to rely on other, and Saarc countries need to help each other to push the entire region for progress and prosperity. He listed several areas which in his opinion are of key importance for regional co-operation to ensure fast track progress among all member countries.
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