By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s top diplomat Ishaq Dar on Wednesday called for a fundamental shift in South Asia’s regional approach, warning that the region cannot afford to remain trapped in confrontation, strategic rivalry and zero-sum politics at a time of deepening security, economic and climate crises.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the 5th Islamabad Conclave organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said South Asia had received “few peace dividends” after the Cold War and continues to face poverty, inequality, climate shocks and persistent political tensions.

Dar said the region must “re-imagine” its future by embracing dialogue, peaceful coexistence, economic interdependence and inclusive cooperation. “Are we doomed to remain mired in confrontation and conflict while other regions progress and prosper? The answer should be an emphatic ‘No’,” he said.

He warned that regional fragmentation, stalled dialogue processes, and the weakening of cooperative mechanisms were preventing South Asian nations from addressing their most pressing challenges — from food insecurity to energy shortages and extreme weather events.

Dar highlighted the global environment of polarization, rising extremism, technological disruptions and growing great-power competition, saying these trends had amplified the vulnerabilities of developing regions, including South Asia.

The foreign minister noted that SAARC remained Pakistan’s preferred platform for regional economic cooperation and urged the removal of “artificial obstacles” preventing it from functioning. Reviving SAARC, he said, was vital for creating the political and institutional space required for conflict resolution and regional development.

He pointed to new forms of flexible cooperation emerging in the region, including the Bangladesh-China-Pakistan trilateral mechanism on shared interests. Such models, he said, could be expanded and adapted into “groups with variable geometry” on issues ranging from technology to connectivity.

Dar also underscored Pakistan’s broader foreign policy outlook, describing Islamabad as a consistent advocate of multilateralism, peaceful dispute settlement and international cooperation. As an elected member of the UN Security Council for 2025–26, Pakistan, he said, was working actively to promote global peace and uphold the principles of the UN Charter.

He painted a grim picture of South Asia’s climate challenges, noting the rapid melting of more than 25,000 glaciers in the Himalaya-Karakoram region, increasing floods, droughts and heatwaves that threaten millions. He stressed that effective regional cooperation in water management, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture was now “absolutely essential.”

On the region’s security dynamics, Dar said South Asia remained home to some of the world’s largest armed forces and faced strategic instability due to conventional and nuclear buildups, contested borders, transnational terrorism and long-standing unresolved disputes.

The foreign minister said Pakistan envisioned a South Asia “where connectivity replaces divisions, economies grow in synergy, disputes are resolved peacefully, and peace is maintained with dignity.” He expressed confidence that the region could eventually match the development and integration levels of more prosperous parts of the world if it moved away from confrontation and rigid political positions.

Dar urged scholars and policymakers attending the two-day conclave to help chart a realistic and cooperative path forward. “May your deliberations lay the intellectual foundations for the much-needed reimagining of South Asia,” he said.