Saarc
As a Pakistani may I have the liberty to state that we Pakistanis are not very fond of Saarc. It may be a different matter for the people of other countries of South Asia. The huge India which has six times more population (compared to Pakistan) will reap the benefits. The European Union which is mostly a Christian club has recently rejected the application of Turkey to become a member of it. As a Pakistani, I don't understand what benefit Pakistan will get or is getting from Saarc, it will be India which will be the main beneficiary of this regional grouping. I think bilateral relationship should be advocated and this type of relationship can be measured and controlled.
Let me state here very frankly that the majority of Pakistanis do not like this Saarc stuff. If Bangladesh wants to enhance its relationship, say, with Sri Lanka or Nepal, Bangladesh can do it bilaterally. The United States, the only superpower of the world, does not have a Saarc like group in North America. Haiti (and other nation islands which are very close to the US) are very poor, but no group or organisation has been formed to lift these poor nations to a respectable position.
The other point is that Pakistan does not have a good relationship with India; both countries are spending a huge amount of money on defence. Their armies face each other. So Saarc doesn't appear to have a bright future.
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