New Delhi, Sept. 29 -- Thirty-five years after the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) came into existence, persisting political tensions between Pakistan and India cast a long and troubling shadow over this grouping.

Not surprisingly, there were negligible outcomes at the recent informal meeting of SAARC foreign ministers when India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar targeted Pakistan by flagging cross-border terrorism, blocking connectivity, and obstruction of trade as key challenges confronting this grouping. For such reasons, India scuppered a proposal to hold the 19th SAARC summit in Islamabad that has been stalled since 2016.

SAARC no longer a priority for India?

Due to the P-factor, SAARC has receded f...