Regional energy community.

Byline: Arshad Zaman

WINNING the peace can be harder than winning the war. In 1950, as Europe was struggling to remedy the ravages of the war that ended in 1945, French foreign minister Robert Schuman proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community, whose members would pool coal and steel production to ensure that historical enemies France and Germany would never go to war again. This led to the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and the European Union in 1991.

As peace in West Asia might be on the horizon, Pakistan should lead in setting aside the history of tensions, distrust, and hostilities, and make a unilateral declaration of its willingness to work towards forming a West Asian Energy (or just Gas and Electricity) Community. This task awaits a leader with vision. To lend some concreteness to the proposal a draft declaration, that follows the wording of the Schuman declaration quite closely - both to suggest that it has been done before and to allay the fears of those who may be alarmed by its implications - is placed below.

A draft declaration by Pakistan

Peace in the world today cannot be achieved without undertaking creative efforts proportionate to the unparalleled dangers which threaten it.

The Muslim world's contribution to improving the spiritual, moral, and material conditions of mankind is indispensable to the restoration and maintenance of global peace and prosperity. In promoting unity among Muslims, Pakistan has always had the service of peace as her foremost goal. Experience over the last century or more has shown that disunity in the Muslim world rendered it vulnerable to war, aggression, and mischief.

As peace in West Asia might be on the horizon, Pakistan should lead in setting aside the history of tensions, distrust, and hostilities.

Unity will not be achieved at once, or according to a single plan. It must be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity. To bring together Muslim nations in this region the age-old distrust between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan must first be eliminated.

With this aim in view, the government of Pakistan proposes that action be taken immediately in one limited but decisive area.

To begin with we propose that the Afghan-Iran-Pakistan energy sector as a whole be placed under a common high authority, within the framework of an organisation open to the participation of the other countries of West and Central Asia. Pooling energy resources and output should...