Pakistan, China eye new bloc replacing SAARC:Report

Pakistan and China are working on a proposal to establish a new regional organisation that could potentially replace the now-defunct South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), according to a media report on Monday. Quoting diplomatic sources familiar with the development, the Express Tribune newspaper reported that talks between Islamabad and Beijing are now at an advanced stage as both sides are convinced that a new organisation is essential for regional integration and connectivity. Citing sources, the paper said that this new organisation could potentially replace the regional bloc SAARC, which comprises India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The meeting attended by senior diplomats from three countries was first of its kind that raised eyebrows in India. The ultimate goal of the meeting in Kunming on June 19 was to invite other South Asian countries, which were part of SAARC, to join the new grouping. India, according to sources, would be invited to the new proposed forum but given its divergent interests, it is unlikely to respond positively. Nevertheless, other countries including Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan to name a few are expected to be part of the grouping.

SAARC could not achieve its stated objectives as it remained hostage to adversarial ties between Pakistan and India. Pakistan and China were discussing the proposal of new organization for months and came to the conclusion that like-minded countries should join hands for better future.