ing ▁peace ▁and ▁prosper ity ▁in ▁South ▁Asia ▁has ▁been ▁el us ive ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁various ▁on going ▁conflicts ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁Political ▁dialog ue ▁is ▁often ▁conducted ▁on ▁the ▁marg ins ▁of ▁SA AR C ▁meet ings ▁which ▁have ▁ref rained ▁from ▁inter fer ing ▁in ▁the ▁internal ▁matters ▁of ▁its ▁member ▁states . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁and ▁ 1 3 th ▁SA AR C ▁summ its , ▁extreme ▁emphas is ▁was ▁laid ▁upon ▁greater ▁co operation ▁between ▁the ▁SA AR C ▁members ▁to ▁fight ▁terror ism . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 th ▁SA AR C ▁sum mit ▁scheduled ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁in ▁Pakistan ▁was ▁called ▁off ▁as ▁India , ▁Bang l adesh , ▁Bh ut an ▁and ▁Afghan istan ▁decided ▁to ▁boy c ott ▁it . ▁It ▁was ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁that ▁four ▁countries ▁boy c otted ▁a ▁SA AR C ▁sum mit , ▁leading ▁to ▁its ▁can cellation . ▁ ▁South ▁Asian ▁Free ▁Trade ▁Area ▁ ▁S AF TA ▁was ▁en vis aged ▁primarily ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁step ▁towards ▁the ▁transition ▁to ▁a ▁South ▁Asian ▁Free ▁Trade ▁Area ▁( S AF TA ) ▁leading ▁subsequently ▁towards ▁a ▁Custom s ▁Union , ▁Common ▁Market ▁and ▁the ▁Econom ic ▁Union . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Six teenth ▁session ▁of ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁Minister s ▁( New ▁Del hi , ▁ 1 8 – 1 9 ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 5 ) ▁agreed ▁on ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁st rive ▁for ▁the ▁real