Making Saarc more vibrant need of the hour: Shehbaz

Islamabad : Pakistan Muslim League (N) President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif has said that South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) countries should work together to formulate a joint strategy to combat the threat posed to the lives of the people of the region by the new coronavirus, says a press release.

Meeting the Ambassador from Nepal Tapas Adhikari in Islamabad, Shehbaz said Saarc can play an important role to boost trade, industrial development, investment and tourism in the regional countries. He said the Saarc can use the Chamber of Commerce or trade bodies to chalk out a practical framework for this. This platform of Saarc should function like the European Union for cooperation in trade, economy and other sectors. This can help achieve economic milestones and miracles for the regional countries. For this Saarc would need to play a more vibrant and effective role.

The Nepalese envoy met Shehbaz at his official residence as National Assembly Opposition Leader in Islamabad.

The National Assembly Opposition Leader said the knowledge and expertise of China to fight COVID-19 can be of exceptional value. To improve the quality of life for the people of their countries, Saarc would need to work faster than the speed of increasing poverty.

Shehbaz pointed out that despite a treasure of abundance of human resource, youth and natural resources, the region has failed to deliver the rightful welfare and advantage to the people. The fruits of the Saarc’s labour have failed to reach the people because of the conflicts and disagreements among member States, he said.