Farooq Abdullah Calls For Revival of SAARC, Urges Modi to Pursue Path of Peace With Pakistan

New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has called for the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Abdullah has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pursue the path of peace with Pakistan and help India advance on the global stage, reported Press Trust of India.

“Time has come when even our Prime Minister (Modi) has to take such steps that India can walk with the world for peace... Time has come to restart SAARC. We must take strong steps from our side and find the path to peace — for the peace of the whole world. The world has become very small, and if we cannot keep this small world with love, then this world will leave us,” said Abdullah on Wednesday (August 20), while speaking at a book launch.

Abdullah cited the example of recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

SAARC was established in 1985 and is a regional intergovernmental organisation and geopolitical union of South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan.

Since it’s inception, tensions between India and Pakistan have at times negatively impacted regional cooperation and SAARC-related activities.

The last SAARC summit was held more than a decade back in November 2014.

Abdullah admitted that it wouldn’t be easy, but emphasised that only “hard steps can save our nation and shape the world”.

The former chief minister said that he would pray to the almighty for the current government to take up this responsibility.

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