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China, Pakistan and Bangladesh have formed a nexus and are trying to create a regional grouping to replace Saarc, which includes India as a member. The three plan to get other South Asian nations to become part of the grouping. Saarc activities came to a halt after India boycotted the summit in Pakistan over the Uri terror attack.
Earlier this month in China's Kunming, representatives of Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan and Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh met on the sidelines of the China-led trilateral meeting. (File Image)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 30, 2025 12:59 IST
Pakistan and China are working to create a new regional bloc to replace Saarc, in which India was a prominent member. The talks on the regional bloc between Islamabad and Beijing are at an advanced level, according to a report in The Express Tribune of Pakistan.
Bangladesh too was part of the recent meeting to create the new regional bloc that was held in China's Kunming on June 19, according to the report.
"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," The Express Tribune reported.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) was formed on 8 December, 1985, through the adoption of its Charter in Dhaka, Bangladesh. There were seven founding members, while Afghanistan joined the grouping in 2007.
The Saarc has been inactive since 2016.
The 19th Saarc Summit was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November that year, which India decided to boycott due to the Pakistan-sponsored Uri terror attack in which 17 Indian soldiers were killed.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan also pulled out, citing concerns about terrorism and regional interference. The summit was cancelled—and it has not been rescheduled since.
The Express Tribune report said that both Pakistan and China "are convinced that a new organisation is need of the hour for regional integration and connectivity".
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Published By:
Sushim Mukul
Published On:
Jun 30, 2025
