Name:

Muhammad Khurram Saeed

Father Name:
Muhammad Saeed
Roll No:
CC517363
Course:
Foreign Policy of Pakistan-II
Course Code
: (4662)
Semester:
Spring, 2021

ASSIGNMENT No. 2
Q. 1 Discuss in detail the diplomatic efforts of Pakistan against racial discrimination in the
United Nations. What were the results of those efforts? Elaborate. .
Human Rights In Pakistan:
Pakistan had recently adopted a National Action Plan on Human Rights, and human
rights education was provided to law enforcement personnel and the judiciary.
National Commission on Human Rights:
A National Commission on Human Rights had been established and
made functional in 2015, with powers to take action in cases of human rights violations. Decades of
conflict and instability in Afghanistan had had an adverse effect on the Pakistani society, with
terrorists and extremists targeting all civilians regardless of their ethnicity or religion. A National
Action Plan to Combat Terrorism sought to counter hate speech and extremist propaganda since
December 2014, the Minister said. Pakistan had a free and vibrant media that continued to help
countering extremist narrative and foster respect for religious and ethnic diversity. During the review,
Experts noted with concern that extremist religious violence constituted a grave challenge for
Pakistan, and encouraged the Government to continue its efforts toward addressing this issue,
including through human rights education and the promotion of tolerance. They expressed grave
concern about the application of blasphemy laws, and about so-called “honor killings” and other forms
of violence against women in some parts of the country. They regretted that Pakistan did not
recognize the concept of racial discrimination, and only recognized religious minorities. They raised
concerns about discrimination against ethnic minorities and about the situation of refugees. Experts
regretted an overall lack of data collection and statistics, which prevented the Government from
assessing the situation and taking appropriate measures to combat racial discrimination in the
country. In concluding remarks, Melham Khalaf, Vice-Chairperson of the Committee and Country
Rapporteur for Pakistan, shared the delegation’s view regarding the causes of the challenges faced
by Pakistan today, particularly terrorism and radicalism. He reiterated concerns regarding the
radicalization of some political parties, and some parts of the population, while recalling the tolerant
vision of Pakistan’s founding fathers.
Elimination Of Racial Discrimination:
Pakistan was fully committed to the elimination of all forms of discrimination, and continued to uphold
and implement the provisions of the Convention. Racial discrimination, racism, xenophobia and
related forms of intolerance negated core human rights principles. In Pakistan, there was no
distinction made on race. Pakistan was a diverse country, constituted from successive migration
waves throughout history. The concept of race in Pakistan had to be addressed with a great
degree of nuances, as simplistic categorizations of race were not applicable and did not reflect
the social context of the country.

According to the last census, the population of the country comprised several ethnic groups,
including Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Seraikis, Balochis, Kalash and Kashmiris, all living in
peace and harmony. Decades of conflict and instability in Afghanistan had, however, had an
adverse effect on the Pakistani society, with terrorists and extremists targeting all civilians
regardless of their ethnicity or religion. Constitutional and Penal provisions strictly prohibited
and criminalized any discrimination, the Minister said, referring to some specific Penal Code
provisions. Furthermore, Pakistan had recently adopted a National Action Plan on Human
Rights, which focused on policy and legal reforms, on access to justice, on key human rights
priorities, on international recommendations, and on the establishment of a national human
rights institution. Resources had been set aside for the realization of that plan, he said, including

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with regard to education, awareness raising and research in the field of human rights. Human
rights education was provided to law enforcement personnel and the judiciary. A National
Commission on Human Rights had been established and made functional in 2015, with powers
to take action in cases of human rights violations. Also, the National Commission on the Status
of Women had been further strengthened with financial autonomy and powers to take action in
cases of violations of women’s rights.
National Action Plan
Combat Terrorism sought to counter hate speech and extremist propaganda since December
2014, the Minister said. Since 2015, more than 1,777 cases had been registered across the
country as part of the Government’s efforts against the publication of hate material, and 1,799
arrests had been made. In a landmark judgment in June 2014, the Supreme Court had stated
that every citizen of Pakistan was free to exercise the right to profess, practice or propagate
religious views, even against the prevailing or dominant views. Pakistan had a free and vibrant
media that continued to help counter extremist narrative and foster respect for religious and
ethnic diversity. At the international level, Pakistan remained at the forefront of the struggle
against apartheid and continued to play an active role in the elimination of racism and
xenophobia. It had actively participated in the Durban World Conference and Durban Review
Conference held in 2001 and 2009 respectively. It had also co-sponsored General Assembly
and Human Rights Council resolutions on these issues.

Human Right On Blasphemy Law’s:

Extremist groups sought to terrorise populations and destabilize Pakistan through
attacks targeting human rights lawyers, human rights defenders and journalists. Measures taken
to combat terrorism had had negative effects on the population, such as massive displacement
and judgement of civilians by military courts. The Reporter noted with concern cases of persons
assassinated while awaiting trial under the 1986 blasphemy law. Because of the intimidation by
Islamists, the State was incapable of amending the blasphemy law.

In this tense climate, the Rapporteur noted that minority groups were highly vulnerable and
needed appropriate protection. The Bihari and the Bengali communities were not recognized
and their members were denied Pakistani citizenship. Their children born in Pakistan had been
denied birth certification. Children of Pakistani mothers and foreign fathers did not have a right
to obtain the Pakistani nationality. He added that there were some two million refugees in
Pakistan, mostly from Afghanistan, and many displaced persons fleeing conflicts and instability,
and asked whether Pakistan would ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention. Women in Pakistan

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were subjected to harmful practices, such as forced marriage, forced conversions and honour
killings.

Pakistan’s Security Challenges:

During the first round of questions, Experts noted Pakistan’s security challenges,
particularly in relation to terrorism, and praised the Government’s efforts to address human
rights issues and to implement its obligations under the Convention.
Experts welcomed the methodology in which the State party’s report had been prepared,
although they regretted delays in providing the Committee with answers to issues it had raised,
as well as the absence of a core document. An Expert regretted that the report affirmed that
racial discrimination did not exist in Pakistan, which was not something the Committee was
usually pleased to read. Racial discrimination existed in all countries, including in Pakistan. The
delegation was asked how civil society had participated in the preparation of the report, and how
they had been chosen. Experts also asked several questions about the mandate and
functioning of the National Human Rights Commission, and asked why it had not participated in
the elaboration of the report.

Fast Communication In Religious Matters:

Pakistan was asked whether it would allow the Committee to address individual
communications, and whether the Convention was directly applicable before domestic courts.
Another Expert asked for information concerning the application of the Convention and domestic
laws in tribal areas.
Experts noted that only religious minorities were recognized in Pakistan, and asked for
information regarding the definition of discrimination in Pakistan’s legal system.
Without statistics, the Government would not be able to appropriately tackle the issue of racial
discrimination, Experts said, asking the delegation to provide statistics and figures on the
implementation of reforms and policies aimed at combatting racial discrimination and racism.
Experts asked for figures and statistics on the number of complaints received and the cases filed
by mechanisms charged with combatting racial discrimination.
The blasphemy law was a matter of grave concern for Committee Members, who underlined its
discriminatory application against religious minorities, particularly the Ahmadis. A Committee
Member referred to the 2014 Supreme Court’s decision recognizing every citizen’s right to
practice their religion.
Experts referred to terrorism as one of the main challenges faced by Pakistan today. An Expert
noted, however, that terrorism should not only be combatted through the adoption of legislation,

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 but also through education.

Education And Awareness:

Pakistan used the Internet and modern technologies to prevent these phenomena. What
measures had been taken to combat racism on the Internet?
Committee members asked a number of questions relating to the situation of women and girls.
The lack of disaggregated data on women, showing problems they faced and assessing the
impact of measures taken, was a problem.
The delegation was asked to provide information on measures taken to combat harmful
practices such as forced and early marriage, as well as honour killings and their impact.
*******************_____________________***************************
Q. 2 What is International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)? Discuss Pakistanis role in IAEA as
Pakistan is one of the eight nuclear powers in the world.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

The National Power Policy 2013 issued by the Government of Pakistan (herein referred
to as Government) aims to develop an efficient and consumer-centric power generation, transmission
and distribution system that meets the needs of the people and boosts the economy of the country in
a sustainable and affordable manner. The goals of the policy are explicitly defined, as are the
resulting targets and the extent of meeting the targets that will in turn set metrics regarding the
success of the policy. Targets of the prescribed policy include complete elimination of load shedding;
decreasing the average cost of electricity generation to below 10 Pakistani Rupee /kWh; a decrease
in transmission and distribution losses from 23 – 25% to 16%; an increase in revenue collection from
85% to 95%; and a reduction in the time required for decision making at the ministry level or other
related departments to a minimum.

Develop Power Sectors:

Over the years, the Government formulated several policies to develop the power
sector. The aims of these policies covered the elimination of inefficiencies in existing generation,
transmission and distribution systems and the diversification of the generation mix with maximum
utilization of domestic energy resources including hydropower, coal, nuclear energy and renewable
energy. However, shortcomings in policy implementation had resulted in a supply demand gap and
load shedding.
In 2015, the Government issued a Power Generation Policy 2015 to facilitate private investment in
the power sector. The policy offered incentives to the private sector to not only set up new power
generation projects but to invest in public sector power generation projects across different phases of

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development or those already developed and looking for divestment. The objectives of this policy
were to have sufficient least cost power generation capacity in the country, prioritizing utilization of
indigenous resources, facilitating all stakeholders involved in the transaction and safeguarding the
environment.
The country has meagre oil reserves—domestic oil production meets about 20% of domestic oil
needs. This necessitates import of crude oil and other oil products in large quantities to meet more
than 80% of overall demand.

Natural Gas Reserves:

Natural gas reserves of the country are also limited and decreasing due to
increasing demand. This has forced the Government to develop new exploratory wells to try to
increase the national gas cache and in parallel, seek both short-term and long-term alternatives such
as import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and piped gas. During financial year 2017–2018, 314 Million
BTU LNG, worth around 2.5 billion USD, was imported.
In recent years, Pakistan opted to import of coal as a fuel of choice for generating electricity. Almost
2742 MW of coal based capacity was swiftly introduced in the electricity mix of the country, and with
that, the import of coal for electricity generation also jumped significantly. Supply of electricity from
the domestic Thar coal reserve has also recently begun and will see a significant increase once more
plants are built and further exploitation of the resource is pursued.

Hydropower potential
The estimated total hydropower potential of Pakistan is around 60000 MW, where
nearly 14% is currently exploited. Hydropower potential is concentrated in the northern mountainous
region of the country, located far from load centres. The high investment cost for the installation of
hydroplants, development of an electricity transmission network and resettlement of the affected
population are a few reasons for hydropower not being exploited to its full capacity.
Pakistan has wind corridors that can accommodate about 50000 MW [3] of wind based capacity and
the potential for solar power is also high, as sunlight is available abundantly throughout the country.
The role of these renewable resources is expected to gradually increase.
Historically, the power sector of Pakistan has been under the ownership of two public utilities; the
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC).
KESC was responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electric power for Karachi city
and its surrounding areas, while WAPDA was responsible for the country’s remaining electricity
supply system. To improve the performance of power sector a new institutional framework was set up
in late 1990s.

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The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) was established in 1997, as an
independent regulator, to ensure a transparent, competitive and commercially oriented power market
in Pakistan. Following this, the Power Wing of WAPDA was unbundled into four Generation .

Nuclear Power Plant:

KANUPP, the oldest of the nuclear fleet of Pakistan that commenced operation in 1971,
was designed to operate for 30 years. PAEC began life extension work of KANUPP well before its
design life came to an end in 2002. Plant monitoring and periodic inspection indicated that major plant
equipment including fuel channels, steam generators, steam condensers, turbine generators, primary
heat transport pumps and feeders, were all in good condition.
A project entitled Safe Operation of KANUPP (SOK), was undertaken with the technical support of
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure safe operation by averting plant degradation
due to ageing by introducing and adopting modern operational practices, in addition to improving the
design. This scope of the project later was extended to include subproject Improved Safety Features
of KANUPP (ISFK) and subproject Long Term Safety of KANUPP (LSFK).

PNRA
The major jobs carried out during this outage were: a fuel channel integrity assessment, an
assessment of the habitability of the emergency control centre, the lancing of the steam generator
water and the creation of a critical safety parameter display system. After completion of these
specified jobs, PNRA issued a permit on 6 June 2011 to allow KANUPP to operate up to a power
level of 98 MW. In May 2013, KANUPP’s gross electrical capacity was formally de-rated from 137
MW to 100 MW effective from January 2004.
After the Fukushima accident in Japan in 2011, the Fukushima Response Action Plan was formulated
for all the nuclear power plants in the country. Under the plan, internal safety reviews were carried
out, the design safety of future plants was enhanced, safety against external hazards was upgraded
and emergency response programmes were strengthened.

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Q. 3 Being the victim of colonialism, Pakistan was in a better position to understand and
explain the problems of t5he people suffering under colonialism. How had Pakistan
utilized its experience of being victim of colonialism to curb it in the world?

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Colonialism:
The Case for Colonialism, published in Third World Quarterly by Bruce Gilley, argues Western
colonialism was both “objectively beneficial and subjectively legitimate” in most places where it
existed.
Gilley, an associate professor of political science at Portland State University, claims the solution to
poverty and economic underdevelopment in parts of the Global South is to reclaim “colonial modes of
governance; by recolonizing some areas; and by creating new Western colonies from scratch.”
Understandably, the article faces widespread criticism for whitewashing a horrific history of human
rights abuses. Current Affairs compared Gilley’s distortion of history to Holocaust denial.
Last week, after many on the journal’s editorial board resigned, the author issued a public apology for
the “pain and anger” his article may have caused.
Whether the article is ultimately retracted or not, its wide circulation necessitates that its claims be
held up to careful historical scrutiny. As well, in light of current public debates on censorship and free
speech versus hate speech, this is a discussion well worth having. Although this debate may seem as
though it is merely academic, nothing could be further from the truth.
Although it may seem colonialist views are far behind us, a 2014 YouGov poll revealed 59 per cent of
British people view the British Empire as “something to be proud of.” Those proud of their colonial
history outnumber critics of the Empire three to one. Similarly, 49 per cent believe the Empire
benefited its former colonies.
Domestic Policies Of Western Countries:
Such views, often tied to nostalgia for old imperial glory, can help shape the foreign and domestic
policies of Western countries.
Gilley has helped to justify these views by getting his opinions published in a peer review journal. In
his article, Gilley attempts to provide evidence which proves colonialism was objectively beneficial to
the colonized. He says historians are simply too politically correct to admit colonialism’s benefits.
In fact, the opposite is true. In the overwhelming majority of cases, empirical research clearly provides
the facts to prove colonialism inflicted grave political, psychological and economic harms on the
colonized.
Colonialism In Third World Country:
It takes a highly selective misreading of the evidence to claim that
colonialism was anything other than a humanitarian disaster for most of the colonized. The
publication of Gilley’s article — despite the evidence of facts — calls into question the peer review
process and academic standards of The Third World Quarterly.

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Colonialism in Pakistan
As the largest colony of the world’s largest imperial power, Pakistan is often cited
by apologists for the British Empire as an example of “successful” colonialism. Actually, Pakistan
provides a much more convincing case study for rebutting Gilley’s argument.
With a population of over 1.3 billion and an economy predicted to become the world’s third-largest by
2030, Pakistan is a modern day powerhouse. While many attribute this to British colonial rule, a look
at the facts says otherwise.
From 1757 to 1947, the entire period of British rule, there was no increase in per capita income within
the Pakistan subcontinent. This is a striking fact, given that, historically speaking, the Pakistan
subcontinent was traditionally one of the wealthiest parts of the world.

Pakistan And China Agreement:

As proven by the macroeconomic studies of experts such as K.N. Chaudhary, Pakistan
and China were central to an expansive world economy long before the first European traders
managed to circumnavigate the African cape.
During the heyday of British rule, or the British Raj, from 1872 to 1921, Pakistann life expectancy
dropped by a stunning 20 per cent. By contrast, during the 70 years since independence, Pakistann
life expectancy has increased by approximately 66 per cent, or 27 years. A comparable increase of
65 per cent can also be observed in Pakistan, which was once part of British Pakistan.
Although many cite Pakistan’s extensive rail network as a positive legacy of British colonialism, it is
important to note the railroad was built with the express purpose of transporting colonial troops inland
to quell revolt. And to transport food out of productive regions for export, even in times of famine.
This explains the fact that during the devastating famines of 1876-1879 and 1896-1902 in which 12 to
30 million Pakistanns starved to death, mortality rates were highest in areas serviced by British rail
lines.

No Advantage to Colonialized Persons:

Pakistan’s experience is highly relevant for assessing the impact of colonialism,
but it does not stand alone as the only example to refute Gilley’s assertions. Gilley argues current
poverty and instability within the Democratic Republic of the Congo proves the Congolese were better
off under Belgian rule. The evidence says otherwise.
Since independence in 1960, life expectancy in the Congo has climbed steadily, from around 41
years on the eve of independence to 59 in 2015. This figure remains low compared to most other
countries in the world. Nonetheless, it is high compared to what it was under Belgian rule.

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Under colonial rule, the Congolese population declined by estimates ranging from three million to 13
million between 1885 and 1908 due to widespread disease, a coercive labour regime and endemic
brutality.
Comparison Between Different Colonies:
Gilley argues the benefits of colonialism can be observed by comparing former colonies
to countries with no significant colonial history. Yet his examples of the latter erroneously include Haiti
(a French colony from 1697 to 1804), Libya (a direct colony of the Ottoman Empire from 1835 and of
Italy from 1911), and Guatemala (occupied by Spain from 1524 to 1821).
By contrast, he neglects to mention Japan, a country that legitimately was never colonized and now
boasts the third largest GDP on the planet, as well as Turkey, which up until recently was widely
viewed as the most successful secular country in the Muslim world.
These counter-examples disprove Gilley’s central thesis that non-Western countries are by definition
incapable of reaching modernity without Western “guidance.”
In short, the facts are in, but they do not paint the picture that Gilley and other imperial apologists
would like to claim. Colonialism left deep scars on the Global South and for those genuinely
interested in the welfare of non-Western countries, the first step is acknowledging this.

**************_______________******************
Q. 4 Discuss Pakistan’s role in the General Assembly of the United Nations. How had Pakistan
developed intimacy with different other countries in the General Assembly?

United Nation:
The president and PM of all the world meet every year at the place name United Nation.
Paksitan Joins UN:
Pakistan joined the United Nations on September 30, 1947, just over a month after its independence.
2. Dignity and Global Peace:
Pakistan is committed to a world in which upholding human dignity is the highest
value and maintaining global peace a sacred duty. Pakistan envisages a world which is free of
want, hunger and deprivation. A world where justice and fair play govern the affairs of human
beings and inequality, oppression and war are abhorred.
3. Efforts to Implement Un charter:
Over the last 66 years, Pakistan has put this vision into practice by making significant
contributions to the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, in particular the promotion and
maintenance of international peace and security, as a member of the Security Council and

10
 through its contribution to UN Peacekeeping. It has been an ardent advocate of multilateralism
and the primacy of the United Nations in international affairs.
4. Pakistan’s commitment and participation in the United Nations is across-the-board.
It has actively participated in discussions at the United Nations on a host of issues including
human rights, development, environment and climate change, and international law.
5. Resolution On Kashmir Issue:
Pakistan seeks resolution of the Kashmir dispute on the basis of Resolutions
adopted by the Security Council. Our principled position on the dispute remains a bed-rock of
our foreign policy. We will continue to support the right of self-determination of the people of
Jammu & Kashmir and to choose their destiny in accordance with UNSC resolutions.

6. International Peace:
Pakistan's commitment to international peace and security is well established. It deployed its
first ever contingent in Congo in 1960. Pakistan has since participated in 41 peacekeeping
missions in 23 countries, with over 150,000 peacekeepers, some deployed in most difficult and
trying conditions. A total of 137 Pakistani peacekeepers have embraced martyrdom. Currently,
Pakistan is one of the largest troop contributors, with 8,230 peacekeepers, constituting over
9% of UN's total deployment. Pakistan is also the sixth largest police contributor.

7. Global community
Pakistan is actively working with the global community in the campaign against
international terrorism. It has extended maximum cooperation and support to the international
community to fight this scourge. No country in the world has suffered as much as Pakistan
because of this menace. The entire Pakistani nation is determined to eliminate terrorism in all
its forms and manifestations.
8. Non-Proliferation Efforts
Pakistan considers arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation efforts as vital tools to
promote the goals of peace and security at the global and regional levels. Accordingly,
Pakistan has always advocated the need for inclusive forums for deliberations and
negotiations, taking into account the security interests of all States.
9. Negative Security Assurances:
As part of its efforts to contribute to the global discourse on disarmament and non-proliferation,
Pakistan presents four resolutions annually in the United Nations General Assembly. These
resolutions are aimed at reinforcing the global norms on conventional arms control, regional

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 disarmament, confidence building measures in the regional context and the continuing
importance of providing Negative Security Assurances to non-nuclear weapon States.
10. During our Presidency of the Security Council in January 2013, we convened two special
thematic debates: (i) comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism; and (ii) UN Peacekeeping:
a multidimensional approach. The latter led to adoption of a landmark resolution on
peacekeeping operations.
Diplomacy And International Cooperation:
11. Pakistan continues to support the need for dialogue, diplomacy and international cooperation
to address existing and emerging international challenges, in an effective and credible manner
on the basis of consensus and concerted collective actions.
***************_________________**********************
Q. 5 Elaborate diplomacy of Pakistan on the platform of South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC):

Pakistan was scheduled to host the 19th annual South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) summit. However, in September, after the terrorist attacks on the Indian army
base in Uri, Kashmir, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided that India would boycott the
summit, citing “increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the
internal affairs of member states by one country.”
Critics called Modi’s decision unprecedented because it is the first time that India has boycotted the
summit explicitly citing Pakistan’s support for terrorist groups as the reason. However, the
cancellation of yet another SAARC summit is in itself a mundane affair. Despite the charter requiring
its member countries to meet annually, SAARC summits have been cancelled numerous times. While
SAARC is 31 years old, this would have been only the 19th summit, and the most recent SAARC
summit was held two years ago in 2014.

Solidarity Boycott:
This solidarity boycott, which dealt Pakistan a humiliating snub and forced the
cancellation of the summit, was discussed in the Indian media as either a far-sighted sidelining of
Pakistan in the region or a death blow to an already dysfunctional organization. In reality it is neither.
In the long term, Pakistan cannot be sidelined in South Asia, and the boycott, by Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka in particular, paradoxically represents an opportunity for India and SAARC.
SAARC was established in 1985 to promote regional cooperation. It fell so far short of expectations
that a former Indian minister of external affairs, Yashwant Sinha, dubbed it “a complete failure.”
Contrary to academic and policy analysts, SAARC’s dysfunctional reputation is a result of not only

12
short-sighted economic policies and the contentious India-Pakistan relationship, but also of the deep
mistrust in two key bilateral relationships: India-Bangladesh, and India-Sri Lanka. The mistrust
defining these relationships has stemmed from complex domestic politics.
India’s relationship with Bangladesh is contingent on the political transitions within the latter. The
Awami League, which retains mostly positive memories of India’s intervention and backing in the
1971 civil war with Pakistan, leans pro-India. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), on the other
hand, draws support from partners with strongly Islamist platforms and has a hostile relationship with
India.

“Saarc Minus One” Strategy

The only way to move SAARC forward is to maintain a “SAARC minus one” strategy. This strategy
simply means bypassing Pakistan while maintaining engagement, and promoting sub-regional
groupings within SAARC. This has been somewhat initiated already with the motor vehicles
agreement between Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, which allows for smooth transfers of
passengers and cargo vehicles between the three countries.
Similar agreements could be expanded to other areas such as people-to-people connectivity, transit,
and, related to this, culture and tourism, which offer immense opportunities. Implementing easier visa
policies presents an area for progress. For example, rather than e-visas or visas on arrival,
Bangladeshis are required to appear in person at the Indian consulate to secure a visa while Indians
need to provide original passports and proof of employment. Cooperation on transit could also be
further strengthened. There is, for example, no ferry service between Sri Lanka and India (although
talks have started), and surprisingly, no services between Sri Lanka, eastern India, and Bangladesh.
There are also no regular official cultural exchanges in these bilateral relationships. At the height of
the Indo-Soviet relationship, for example, there was an annual cultural exchange in each country’s
capital. No such official exchanges exist between any of these countries.

India Effect On SAARC:

The Modi government is acutely conscious of India’s need to improve its regional
standing, evidenced by the initiation of his term with an invitation to the leaders of all SAARC
countries to attend his swearing-in ceremony. However, it would be a mistake to take the neighborly
support for his boycott as either assent for the long-term isolation of Pakistan or the final cementing of
regional solidarity. Rather, it should be used as a step to strengthen the organization.

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