Pakistan, Nov. 3 -- When Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu called in Islamabad last month for the revival of SAARC, he was appealing for the return of an organisation whose last summit was held twelve years ago. Nepal has held its chairmanship since that Kathmandu meeting in 2014. The impasse has become so familiar that another call for regional cooperation barely raises an eyebrow. Meanwhile, South Asians continue to pay the price of living in countries separated by a few hours of flying time but often connected through distant airports.

Imran Shauket drew attention to this absurdity in his article "South Asia's Two-Hour Flights That Take Fifteen," published in Daily Times, observing that "A region where neighbours cannot easily visit ...