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Saturday, December 1, 2012

India, 78th In Granting Access To Justice

India, 78th In Granting Access To Justice

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

SOUTH ASIA: ONWARD TO A BETTER TOMORROW

Pritam K. Rohila, Ph. D.

Most South Asian nations are currently struggling with internal
tensions, some more serious than others. But at the same time they are
reaching out to their neighbors to find solutions to their problems.

Pakistan has decided to extend Most Favored Nation status to India, and
is considering importing, among other things, much needed electricity,
railway engines, and pharmaceutical from India. In view of its
increasing trade with India, a dedicated cross-border trade gate is
being opened at the Wagah border. Also Pakistan has allowed Afghanistan
SAFTA import concessions, and has extended an export credit facility of
US 200 million dollars to Sri Lanka through the State Bank of India.

India and Bangladesh have reached an agreement to tackle flow of
criminals and drugs across their borders. Sri Lanka and India are
discussing bilateral defense cooperation. Nepal is pleading with India
for help in easing fuel shortage. Also it has proposed joint venture
with Bangladesh to set up a 3,000 megawatt power plant in its territory
to help resolve its power problems.

Bhutan is set to open two new land trade routes to Bangladesh through
India, while India has exempted essential commodities to Bhutan from
export ban.

Even Indian Administered Kashmir and Pakistan Administered Kashmir have
recently elected a new president of Jammu & Kashmir Joint Chamber of
Commerce and Industry.

Furthermore, there is a growing realization in India's political
circles that in spite of the Mumbai terror attacks, it cannot ignore
Pakistan, and that it is in their national interest to help Pakistan in
its struggles for political stability and prosperity.

Among Pakistani intelligentsia and policymakers too there is increasing
awakening to the fact that now is the time to shed the burden of the
troubled history of relations with India and to stop blaming India for
its problems.

On the last Kashmir Solidarity Day, it was heartening to hear Pakistan
Prime Minister to say, that the Kashmir issue can no longer be resolved
through war. Instead he pleaded for reliance on "dialog, diplomacy,
prudent policy and national consensus." "We can move forward as
good neighbors, who have a stake in each other's future and who have
the responsibility that both countries have to the region and within the
region," he said.

Thanks to the farsightedness and sagacity of the leaders and peoples of
South Asia, it appears that the dream of the founders of South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is coming closer to
realization. In their December 1985 Dhaka Declaration, at the time of
SAARC's foundation, the heads of the founding South Asian countries
had envisioned it as "a tangible manifestation of their
determination to cooperate regionally, to work together towards finding
solutions towards their common problems in a spirit of friendship, trust
and mutual understanding and to the creation of an order based on mutual
respect, equity and shared benefit."

If they continue to improve relations with neighbors across as well as
within their own borders, 21st century is likely to be the South Asian
Century.

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Dr. Rohila is the Executive Director of the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia www.asiapeace.org and can be reached at asiapeace@comcast.net