Pak, China mull new regional bloc as Saarc stalls

Islamabad: Pakistan and China are mulling launching a new regional platform amid growing dissatisfaction over the freeze in Saarc activity, with both sides holding consultations on building an alternative bloc to advance connectivity, trade, and political dialogue.

Diplomatic sources in Islamabad confirmed that discussions are underway, with the idea gaining traction after a recent China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral in Kunming. While formal details remain under wraps, the proposed grouping is expected to include multiple South and Central Asian countries, including India. However, given the current state of India’s ties with both Beijing and Islamabad, New Delhi’s participation remains unlikely.

“The idea is to create momentum in the region, not wait indefinitely for Saarc to move,” a Pakistani official familiar with the developments said. Islamabad and Beijing reportedly see the current regional vacuum as an opportunity to reshape multilateral cooperation through new alignments.

Saarc has not held a summit since 2014, with the 2016 meet in Islamabad indefinitely shelved after India pulled out in the wake of the Uri terror attack. Since then, the bloc has remained dormant.

China, not a Saarc member, has increased its footprint in South Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative, and is seen as a key driver behind the push for a new forum. Analysts say the Kunming trilateral was likely a trial balloon to gauge interest among smaller regional players like Bangladesh.

A new bloc could also offer China and Pakistan another multilateral platform to align on CPEC, infrastructure financing, and shared climate and trade challenges, outside the rigid Saarc framework.

No timeline has been set for a formal announcement, but officials hinted that a blueprint could emerge by the end of the year, possibly tied to upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meetings where both India and Pakistan are members.

While the move signals a shift in regional thinking, much will depend on how other South Asian nations — especially Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh — respond to the idea of replacing Saarc with a China-backed structure.

Bangladesh had last week denied forming “any new alliance” with Beijing and Islamabad. On June 26, Bangladesh foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain said there is “no new alliance among Bangladesh, China and Pakistan”, as he addressed queries from reporters on the June 19 Bangladesh-China-Pakistan meeting in Kunming. “We are not forming any alliance. It was a meeting at the official level, not at the political level...There was no element of formation of any alliance,” Hossain had said, emphasising Dhaka’s relationship with New Delhi is now at a “re-adjustment” stage and there is “no lack of goodwill from our side”. Hossain had described the Kunming meet as “not anything big and not something structured”.

With inputs from Ahsan Tasnim in Dhaka