Could a New Regional Alliance Replace SAARC? Insights from Pakistan and China

New Regional Organization Proposal by Pakistan and China
Islamabad: A recent report indicates that Pakistan and China are in discussions to create a new regional organization that may take the place of the now-inactive South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
According to diplomatic sources cited by the Express Tribune, negotiations between Islamabad and Beijing have progressed significantly, with both nations recognizing the necessity for a new entity to foster regional integration and connectivity.
The proposed organization is expected to serve as a successor to SAARC, which includes India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
A trilateral meeting held in Kunming, China, involving Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh, was part of these diplomatic efforts, aiming to encourage other South Asian nations previously associated with SAARC to join this new coalition.
However, the interim government of Bangladesh has downplayed the notion of a new alliance with Dhaka, Beijing, and Islamabad, asserting that the meeting was not of a political nature.
"We are not forming any alliance," stated foreign affairs adviser M Touhid Hossain.
Sources suggest that India will be invited to participate in the proposed forum, with Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Afghanistan likely to join as well.
The primary objective of this new organization is to enhance regional cooperation through improved trade and connectivity, as reported by the newspaper.
If this initiative comes to fruition, it would effectively replace SAARC, which has been inactive for an extended period due to ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.
The last biennial summit of SAARC took place in Kathmandu in 2014, and the 2016 summit planned for Islamabad was canceled after India withdrew its participation following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.