South Asia is an immense region in terms of population, comprising two billion people. Yet, since the partition of British India, complex geopolitical realities, regional complexities, and political and ideological differences have hampered the prospects of regional trade, connectivity, and development from Dhaka to Kabul. In the presence of the Hindu-led nationalist government in New Delhi, the chances of resuming and reviving regional trade between India and Pakistan appear even slimmer.

It is remarkable that once, the South Asian region was highly integrated in terms of trade and investment, with individuals from any background able to participate in commerce, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or race. Famous historian William Dalrymple has argued that from the Mauryan to Gupta to Mughal to British eras, all rulers who played an instrumental role in unifying India also paved the way for regional connectivity and trade. Notably, the volume of regional trade in South Asia was around 25% before the partition of British India, but this figure plummeted to 5% by the 1950s.

The founder of Pakistan, M.A. Jinnah, envisioned an ideal and prosperous relationship between India and Pakistan, where—despite being sovereign and independent states—trade, investment, goods and services, and the movement of people and ideas could flow freely between the two nations. Citing the example of the USA and Canada, Jinnah envisioned a similar relationship between the newly born states of Pakistan and India in 1947, during an interview with a foreign journal. As reference, the USA and Canada are now the largest trading and investment........

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