Pakistan will commemorate 35th SAARC Charter Day on December 10 (Tuesday) to renew commitment to the cherished goals of the organization besides further accelerating the pace of regional economic cooperation.

According to a spokesman, the leaders of SAARC nations, the high commissioners, ambassadors from the SAARC member countries, representatives of the SAARC bodies will also grace the occasion by reiterating the aims and goals of the SAARC Charter.

The SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI), an apex trade body in the region, will organize a function in this regard with Advisor to Prime Minister on commerce Abdul Razak Dawood in chair while SAARC CCI Senior Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik will present welcome address and President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Engr Daroo Khan Achakzai will also speak besides other prominent businessmen.

On 8th December, 1985 at the first SAARC Summit held in Dhaka, the leaders of the Seven South Asian Countries: Maldives, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka signed a contract in order to establish the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Every year, on this day, SAARC Charter Day is observed marking the signing of this Charter. Special commemorative events are held in each member state, reaffirming their strong commitment towards SAARC in supporting the uplift of the lives of millions in South Asia.

As an organization in one of the fastest growing economic regions of the world, SAARC embodies the desire of the people and governments of South Asia to work collectively to promote peace, stability, amity and progress in the region through strict adherence to the principles of sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity.

The South Asian region faces several negative issues like terrorism, pollution, poverty, unemployment, rapid unorganized urbanization, refugees, political instability, corruption and several communicable and non communicable disease outbreaks.

With 35 percent of the youth in this region, the region is the work force of the 21st century when the rest of the world has an ageing population. Hence, with a good cooperation among the member states, the region can become a strong economy and a better society in the near future.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019