Congratulations to brother Zulfikar Ali Bader I take the pleasure to inform you all that I have been HONORED as the YOUNG GLOBAL LEADER by WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM (http://t.co/Kk80BTq2pJ). The honor of this great achievement has only been possible with the prayers of my mother and my father who has been an inspiration and motivating factor in my life. I am also grateful to my immediate family members, extended family, my friends from my office, school, college, university, teachers, Lahore Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Pakistan Chamber, Saarc Chamber of Commerce, my learned Advocate friends from Lahore District Bar, Punjab Bar, Lahore High Court Bar & seniors who guided me all the way through. My humble request to everyone to please remember me in their prayers & to always guide and support me in future too. God bless you all.

*SDPI CONFERENCE IN MARRIOTT* *ISB* Thursday, 08 December 2016 Day Three Concurrent Session C-7 12 noon-2:00pm Title: Emerging Methods in Policy Engagement and Public-Private Dialogue Chair: *Mr Rana Muhammad Afzal*, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan Moderator: Mr Hammad Siddiqui, Country Director, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Karachi, Pakistan Panel Organisers: Dr Vaqar Ahmed and Mr Fazal Bukhari, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan Panellists Dr Masuma Hassan, Former Cabinet Secretary, Government of Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan Engr. M. A. Jabbar, Member SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Karachi, Pakistan *Mr Majyd Aziz, Former Chairman*, *Karachi Chamber of* *Commerce and Industry, Karachi,* *Pakistan* Dr Khaqan Najeeb, Ministry of Finance, Islamabad, Pakistan Ms Sarwat Aftab, Senior Private Sector Specialist, The World Bank, Islamabad, Pakistan Mr Ali Khizar, Head of Research, Business Recorder, Lahore, Pakistan Discussion Lunch 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

I have travelled most of Europe by Car, and My dream is to one day I can do this from Karachi to Dhaka ! I dream of a United States of the Subcontinent - I have created this group for the dreams who wish to do this. Till this happens politically, I want every one in the SAARC to have 10 Friends from each of the saarc countries. https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnitedStatesofSubcontinent/ Join the group

What is Saarc

How can Saarc help people of Sub Continent

As per google Population of India 1.3 billion Pakistan 220 million Bangaldesh 200 million Nepal 28 million Afghanistan 35 million Sri Lanka 21 million Maldives .5 Million Bhutan .8 million Total population 1800 million people living in Saarc or 25% of worlds population out of 7000 million people in the world or 1/4 people have the stress of terror due to India Pakistan 🇵🇰 dispute, and are not able to grow their countries because of the disputes among these 2 rivals ! How much time do you think we should be spending to solve this problem ?

SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry group If you are into trading, this is the place for you to be in. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaarcChamber/

The Story of SAARC In the years after independence, the countries of South Asia shared more than borders. They shared history, culture, languages, and above all, struggles. Poverty was widespread, education levels were low, and economies remained fragile. While Europe was learning to unite under the European Union and Southeast Asia was coming together through ASEAN, South Asia remained divided, mostly because of political mistrust. It was in this environment that President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh in the late 1970s began to dream of something different. He believed that the nations of South Asia could achieve far more if they stood together than if they worked alone. His proposal for a regional organization was not immediately welcomed—skepticism and suspicion ran high, particularly between India and Pakistan. Yet the idea slowly gained ground. Through a series of ministerial meetings in the early 1980s, the concept took shape. Leaders realized that they all faced common challenges: how to lift millions out of poverty, how to improve health and literacy, how to strengthen economies, and how to deal with disasters that so often struck the region. Working together could not erase political disputes, but it might build trust and deliver progress for ordinary people. Finally, on 8 December 1985, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, leaders of seven nations—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—signed a charter and gave birth to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). For the first time, South Asia had its own platform to speak as a region. There was excitement, hope, and a sense of new beginnings. The goals were ambitious yet simple: promote economic growth, foster social progress, celebrate cultural ties, and build peace. Later, in 2007, Afghanistan joined as the eighth member, broadening the family. Over the years, SAARC launched projects in education, agriculture, technology, health, and even disaster management. The creation of SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) in 2006 was seen as a bold step toward economic integration. But the journey was not smooth. Political rivalries—especially between India and Pakistan—often froze dialogue. Summits were postponed, agreements stayed on paper, and the vision of a united South Asia never fully blossomed. While ASEAN surged ahead in trade and the EU built a common market, SAARC struggled to move beyond speeches and declarations. Today, nearly four decades later, #SAARC remains a symbol of both promise and frustration. It showed that South Asian leaders could dream of working together, but it also revealed how deep political divides can stall even the most hopeful visions. Still, the idea of SAARC continues to inspire—because the challenges of poverty, climate change, health, and regional trade are too large for any one country to solve alone. The story of SAARC is unfinished. It is the story of a region that knows it can rise higher if united, yet still searches for the courage to overcome mistrust and truly walk forward together.

Chapter X: The SAARC Awakening For forty years, SAARC had existed — a logo, a few meetings, and a long list of unfulfilled promises. Every few years, its leaders gathered, smiled for the cameras, shook hands, and went home. Behind the smiles, the borders stayed closed. Trade stayed low. Suspicion stayed high. But then came the Flood of 2025. It didn’t care about borders. Rivers crossed nations without passports. Crops drowned on both sides. Families fled from India to Pakistan, from Bangladesh to Nepal, not as enemies — but as humans. And for the first time, leaders couldn’t deny the truth: 👉 “The climate doesn’t know borders. Maybe it’s time we stop pretending we do.” ⸻ The Turning Point: The SAARC Climate Pact When the water receded, a miracle followed. Prime ministers, presidents, and even military chiefs met under one banner — The SAARC Climate Pact of 2026. They agreed to: • Share AI-based weather data across all borders. • Build joint flood barriers and water systems. • Create one South Asian Climate Fund, managed together. And that one agreement did what forty years of diplomacy couldn’t — it built trust. ⸻ From Trust to Trade Trust quickly turned into trade. By 2027: • Trucks began moving freely across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. • Visa-on-arrival systems opened for students and businesspeople. • A regional payment system, SAARC Pay, made money transfers instant. • Maglev cargo lines were laid from Karachi to Dhaka via Delhi. People began to ask: “If we can trade, why not dream bigger?” ⸻ The SAARC Union (2028) In 2028, something unthinkable happened — SAARC transformed into the South Asian Union (SAU), inspired by the old European Union model. • One visa allowed travel across eight countries. • One education framework let students move freely between universities. • One digital platform, built on Rehan School’s model, gave AI-based education to every child. • One regional Parliament met in Kathmandu, symbolically halfway between India and Pakistan. The slogan printed on every South Asian passport read: “Eight nations. One family. One future.” ⸻ The People’s Union But the real magic wasn’t in politics — it was in the people. • Pakistani engineers worked in Dhaka. • Indian doctors treated patients in Kathmandu. • Sri Lankan designers created apps for Nepali startups. • Bangladeshi students built AI projects with Bhutanese friends. The borders stayed on maps, but not in hearts. ⸻ Legacy Historians later wrote: “SAARC was born out of bureaucracy. The South Asian Union was born out of empathy.” It became the cornerstone of the Planet Union movement — proof that even the most divided region on Earth could heal when it replaced ego with cooperation. At the gates of the SAARC headquarters in Kathmandu, a new plaque was installed: “Rivers unite us. Mountains connect us. Humanity defines us.” ⸻ 👉 Now copy this chapter and share it on your social media to show how SAARC became the heart of Planet Union. Hashtags: #PlanetUnion #Peace2030 #SAARCUnion #SouthAsiaRises #OneHumanity

Hackathon for Immigration and a visa ! Cc: Beena Sarwar Asha Jadeja Motwani Saarc - South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation Southasia Peace Action Network