“Increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in India and growing interference in the internal affairs of several member-states by Pakistan are not conducive for the future of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).” Explain with suitable examples.
Approach · directive: “explain”
What it asks · Show with examples how terrorism from Pakistani soil and Pakistan's interference have damaged trust and cooperation within SAARC, and what it means for the grouping.
It asks 3 things — answer each
- Explain with examples how cross-border terrorist attacks from Pakistani soil damage SAARC's prospects
- Explain with examples how Pakistan's interference in members' internal affairs damages SAARC
- Assess what this means for SAARC's future, with the counter-view and way forward
Open with · In September 2016 Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India told the SAARC chair the environment was not conducive to the Islamabad Summit.
Cover
- Terror attacks: Pathankot (January 2016) and Uri (September 2016) were blamed by India on Pakistan-based groups, after the 2008 Mumbai attacks had broken trust.
- Summit collapse: four members pulled out of the November 2016 Islamabad Summit, which then did not take place.
- Interference: Afghanistan cited imposed terrorism; Bangladesh cited growing interference in its internal affairs and summoned Pakistan's envoy in May 2016.
- Blocked cooperation: Pakistan's reservations kept the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement unsigned at the 2014 Kathmandu summit; unanimity under Article X lets one member stall all.
- Cost: intra-regional trade is barely 5% of South Asia's total trade, against 25% in ASEAN (World Bank).
- Counter-view and way forward: smaller members also fear India's size; BBIN and BIMSTEC keep integration moving.
Close with · SAARC's revival depends on Pakistan ending cross-border terrorism; meanwhile sub-regional platforms keep South Asian integration alive.
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- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India told the SAARC chair (Nepal) they could not attend the 19th Summit in Islamabad (9–10 November 2016) as the regional environment was not conducive.Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal - Press Release, September 2016 (web.archive copy) ↗“conveyed their inability to participate in the 19th SAARC summit scheduled for November 9 and 10, 2016 in Islamabad stating that current regional environment is not conducive to the successful holding of the Summit”
- Article X of the SAARC Charter requires unanimity and excludes bilateral and contentious issues.Charter of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (PARI library copy, web.archive) ↗“Article X: Decisions at all levels shall be taken on the basis of unanimity. Bilateral and contentious issues shall be excluded from the deliberations.”
- World Bank: intra-regional trade is barely 5% of South Asia's total trade (ASEAN: 25%), and totals $23 billion against a potential of at least $67 billion.World Bank, South Asia Regional Integration - Trade ↗“Intraregional trade accounts for barely 5 percent of South Asia's total trade, compared to the ASEAN region where intraregional trade makes up 25 percent. Trade among South Asian countries currently totals just $23 billion -- far below an estimated value of at least $67 billion.”
- Afghanistan told the SAARC chair that, because of violence and fighting from 'imposed terrorism', President Ghani could not attend the Summit.News report, The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), 'India, three more countries pull out of Islamabad SAARC Summit', 28 September 2016 ↗“Due to the increased level of violence and fighting as a result of imposed terrorism on Afghanistan, the President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani with his responsibilities as the Commander in Chief will be fully e”
- Bangladesh told the SAARC chair that the growing interference in its internal affairs by one country had created an environment not conducive to the Summit.News report, The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), 'India, three more countries pull out of Islamabad SAARC Summit', 28 September 2016 ↗“The growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country has created an environment which is not conducive to the successful”
- In May 2016 Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner and handed over a protest note after Pakistan's reaction to the Nizami execution.Think-tank article, Observer Research Foundation, 'Diplomatic row after Bangladesh hangs pro-Pak war criminal', 16 May 2016 ↗“Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistani High Commissioner and handed over a protest note”
- The SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement could not be signed at the Kathmandu Summit in November 2014 because of Pakistan's reservations.PIB (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways), 'BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement' ↗“Unfortunately, it could not be signed due to reservations of Pakistan.”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2016, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 3 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 291words · Minimalist IAS
In September 2016 Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India told Nepal, the SAARC chair, that the regional environment was 'not conducive' to the 19th Summit in Islamabad. Because Article X of the SAARC Charter demands unanimity, one member's conduct can paralyse the whole grouping.
How cross-border terrorism hurts SAARC
- Repeated attacks: Pathankot (January 2016) and Uri (September 2016), like Mumbai (2008), were blamed by India on Pakistan-based groups.
- Summit collapse: after Uri, India declined to attend; three more members followed, and the Summit did not take place.
- Trust deficit: terror turns every SAARC decision into a hostage of India–Pakistan relations.
- Uri attack (Sept 2016)
- India withdraws
- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan follow
- Islamabad Summit not held
- BBIN, BIMSTEC gain ground
How Pakistan's interference hurts members
- Afghanistan: it cited 'imposed terrorism' and rising violence as why President Ghani could not attend.
- Bangladesh: it cited 'growing interference in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by one country'; in May 2016 it also summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner over a war-crimes execution.
- Blocked connectivity: Pakistan's reservations kept the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement unsigned at the 2014 Kathmandu summit.
What this means for SAARC's future
- Integration deficit: intra-regional trade is barely 5% of South Asia's total trade, against 25% in ASEAN (World Bank).
- Counter-view: smaller members also fear India's size, and Article X keeps bilateral disputes off the table, so mistrust is not one-sided.
Way forward
- Sub-regional routes: BBIN and BIMSTEC carry connectivity and trade without a veto-holder.
- Conditional revival: keep SAARC active in non-contentious social areas, and link summitry to verifiable action against terror groups.
South Asia trades just $23 billion within itself, far below an estimated $67 billion (World Bank). SAARC can unlock that only when Pakistan ends cross-border terrorism; until then, sub-regional platforms must carry integration forward.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 3 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
