South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA): Its Prospects and Socio-Cultural Impacts on Pakistan

SAARC countries shares the almost 20% human population of the world and Pakistan and India are the major players of the region amid with tension and hostility with each other on many geopolitical issues since their independence. Regionalism has gained importance in the world and countries are coming closer to each other by making certain agreements on the basis of common economic and sociocultural interests and European union is the one of the example. In the same fashion, Pakistan and India has signed SAFTA (an agreement for regional trade, peace and reducing barriers) which is beneficial for the socioeconomic development of the entire region. This agreement can be made more effective if certain measures can be taken for its betterment.