LAHORE: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will prove an economic lifeline of the region, says Punjab Minister for Higher EducationBegumZakiaShahnawaz.

At an international conference on `Inter-Regional Connectivity: South Asia and Central Asia` at the Government College University (GCU) on Wednesday, the minister asked scholars to contribute in the formulation of conceptual as well as methodological framework for economic cooperation in the region.

Up to 25 experts from Russia, China, India, Nepal, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, the UK, Singapore, Italy, Germany, Sri Lanka, Thailand Singapore and the US are participating in the conference and will debate on geopolitics of corridors: building economic and politicallinkages,energy security, socio-cultural connectivity and peace and security-centric cooperation during the six technical sessions of the conference.

The conference was organised by the university`s Political Science Department in collaboration with both provincial and federal higher education commissions.

GCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Hasan Amir Shah said the conference generated ideas and concepts that could pave the way for academic excellence, human development regional peace and cooperation.

`We expect the scholars to bring forth new trends of regionalism in Asia keeping in view the indigenous realities and demands beyond the conventional parameters of regional study, and contribute in the formulation of a theoretical framework for further research, he said.

Writer and foreign policy expertAhmed Rashid said the rapidly growing economies of leading Asian countries had created strong imperatives for inter-regional as well as intra-regional connectivity but Afghanistan war and bilateral disputes among states were among the major hurdles in the much needed process.

`Even intra-regional connectivity within South Asia and Central Asia does not exist,` he said, adding that China that was a major player in the great game of interregional and intra-regional connectivity must try to end conflicts between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Pakistan and India.

Prof Dr Khalid Manzoor Butt, the conference chairman, said the connectivity deficit was pushing South Asia back in the volley of the world regions.

`A common vision needs to be developed within the regionalmatrix because the diversity in these regions can be harnessed into the collective synergy for the prosperous future of the regions, he said.

He said that geographic linkages would bring political and economic developments which can also address the regional problems like poverty, illiteracy, extremism and intolerance in the region.

Middle East Institute, Washington Centre for Pakistan Studies Director Prof Marvin G Weinbaum said reconciliation in South Asia was the prerequisite for inter-regional connectivity.

`Standing at the inter-regional crossroads, Pakistan and Afghanistan are pivotal to realising the opportunities provided by stronger connectivity, but their mutual distrust and absorption with their mutual conflicts figure strongly in the limited progress till date,` he said.