At a time when other Asian countries are going through tremendous transformation, South Asian states are swept into a whirlpool of mind-numbing problems. They not only have to worry about deteriorating security but its implications for economic policies as well. Disputes over frontiers and constant interference had overshadowed economic growth opportunities for decades. Industries are starving, unemployment is high and millions of people live below the poverty line.

The security paradigms adopted by the South Asian countries have been totally incompatible with modern-day politics. When other regions on the world map are drawing closer for shared goals, political rivalries in South Asia have kept the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in lurch and away from becoming an effective platform. 

The realization in the past decade that the precarious security situation in South Asia and poverty are interlinked has been a turning point in SAARC's history. The increased interaction last year among South Asian officials is welcome and the political weather is changing. Acknowledging the reality that South Asian countries cannot afford more turbulence in their relations will give them the opportunity to set a correct future course.

After months of back and forth, ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan have scaled new heights. Likewise, Afghanistan is a close ally of India. Pak-India ties are strained but they cannot continue poking each other. If they want to keep pace with the times, they will have to go through transformation.

To bolster the economy and curb poverty, the only option that the two neighbors have is to resolve their disputes in an amicable way and embrace regionalism. It is the most viable option to find salvation. Regionalism and multilateralism provide the chance for India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other SAARC members to strengthen economy through increased trade activities.

For South Asia's energy-starved industries, the natural resources of Central Asia can prove an elixir. What these industries really need is natural gas, electricity and oil. Afghanistan, Pakistan and India can benefit from energy diversification in Central Asia. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have the largest natural gas deposits while Kazakhstan is an oil producer and exports 90 percent of its supply. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan need markets to supply surplus electricity.

It is this diversification that is prodding South and Central Asian countries to take smart steps for regional integration. The CASA-1000 electricity transmission and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline projects are economically profitable and involve little risk. The expansion of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement to include Tajikistan and trade incentives to Afghan traders under the South Asian Free Trade Area are moves toward a prosperous future. These projects will not only pave the way for regionalism but also create thousands of jobs, improve the economy and defeat extremism. Similarly, the Central Asian republics can take advantage of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and other Pakistani routes to find markets in South Asia.

China could help other countries speed up work on these projects. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank can play a crucial role to initiate such mega projects. China takes great interest in the regional economic projects and has launched its own Silk Route initiative to bridge the trust deficit in the region. Last year, China announced it would contribute $40 billion to kick off work on the Silk Road. 

These projects should not be sabotaged by politics and rivalries. Regional actors, especially India and Pakistan, should not be stuck in obsolete policies because we are living in a geoeconomic age. The more these players collaborate, the more South Asia will steer smoothly toward regionalism.

The author is a Kabul-based journalist.nadeemalizai@gmail.com. Follow him at Twitter at @nadeemalizai.