Pakistan, China plan new bloc to rival SAARC, aiming regional influence shift

Pakistan and China are reportedly in advanced talks to form a new regional organisation that could potentially replace the long-dormant South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), according to a report by The Express Tribune.

Diplomatic sources familiar with the development revealed that the two allies are working closely to create a platform focused on regional connectivity and integration. The proposed grouping would include countries like Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Afghanistan, and may extend an invitation to India as well.

A recent trilateral meeting between China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in Kunming is believed to be part of the initiative. However, Bangladesh's interim government has denied that the meeting was political in nature or indicative of a new alliance.

The envisioned bloc aims to boost economic cooperation and trade across South Asia. If realised, it would effectively replace SAARC, which has been inactive since 2014 due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

The last SAARC summit took place in Kathmandu in 2014. The 2016 edition, scheduled in Islamabad, was cancelled after India withdrew in protest of the terrorist attack on its army base in Uri. Several other member nations, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan, followed suit, leading to the summit’s cancellation.

The new forum, still in the planning stages, reflects a shift in regional strategy as countries look to bypass geopolitical deadlocks and reinvigorate collaboration.