The South Asia challenge

Ambassador (Rtd) Naeem U. Hasan has spent his lifetime within the corridors of power.
He has been named Director of Economic Affairs and Regional Development
for the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries). Since his MPA in Lebanon, Ambassador  (Rtd) Hasan has served in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Turkey and Syria for the government of Pakistan. His time spent in public service and his time as a Secretary General of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-Operation), has provided him with intimate
knowledge, and a unique perspective, of the Indian subcontinent. Ambassador (Rtd) Hasan has also specialized in strategic and defense issues with Pakistan's national defense college.

He explained that the South Asian Region comprises about 1.5 billion people, about ¼ of the world's population. He is now a Canadian citizen who has been residing here for 5 years. He enjoys its tranquility, tolerant attitudes and peaceful way of life. Canada was the first country to enter into an agreement with SAARC. But we still know very little about South Asia in Canada. He hopes that we will play a more active role in the future.

Ambassador (Rtd) Hasan alerted us that this week is the celebration of the 60th year of independence for India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Much has occurred in those sixty years but he still finds interesting and surprising things on his visits to the area. For instance, on a recent visit to Bangladesh he discovered that 90 percent of the workers in the burgeoning garment industry are women. This counters the Canadian perception that women are suppressed and shut out of the benefits of globalization in South Asia.

There are still major problems to overcome however. The South Asia area is underdeveloped due to the strained relationship between India and Pakistan. While there has been social and economic cooperation, political stresses seem to trump the progress made in the other areas. He feels that more attention must be given to the other countries - Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan, all of which have vast resources. They can assist in dealing with such problem areas as Kashmir. But even so, the gap between "Haves" and "Have Nots" seems to grow. In the last two years, UN Reports indicate that regarding literacy, mortality, water quality and health factors, South Asia ranks lower than sub-Sahara Africa. As a result, Ambassador (Rtd) Hasan argues that the social sector must be given priority over defence. That is why, in the SAARC, unlike other regional associations, no political issues are to be discussed. The most important areas of cooperation are therefore Economic, Social and Counter-Terrorism. The SAFTA (South Asia Free Trade Agreement) was negotiated and supposed to go into effect on January 1, 2007, but Pakistan is delaying implementation.

Overall, Ambassador (Rtd) Hasan is with hope that the normalization process on economic and social areas will lead to stabilized political relations as well. The addition of Afghanistan is a sign of progress and he hopes that Iran's advisor status will also help promote progress. A new pipeline linking India, Pakistan and Iran is a first sign.

He feels that Canada's involvement in Afghanistan has not had a positive effect on our relations with South Asia. And the potential (and renewed?) competition between India and Pakistan for influence in Afghanistan may also cause future strains. But the fact of immigration to Canada from all of the countries in SAARC leads to the hope that Canada could be a bridge to the area countries and a calming effect. We need to look at setting up consultations and seminars to move the efforts along.

Rob Van Kessel thanked the speaker for his informative and entertaining presentation.