Indian media has reported that following the rise of Pakistan’s global stature after last month’s war against India, Pakistan and China are reportedly advancing plans to establish a new regional bloc.
According to details, the new regional bloc plans have moved forward as it aims to replace the now-defunct South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The initiative has gained regional clout because the SAARC has been held hostage by Indian political designs, as India continues to play the role of regional bully.
Defence experts have called out India’s role of playing the regional bully and how Pakistan successfully refused to accept its false hegemony in the region when it launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos on May 10.
Tribune also reported that China and Pakistan recognise the necessity for a fresh platform to boost regional integration and connectivity.
If realised, this new initiative may redefine the landscape of South Asian cooperation, fostering closer ties among member nations while providing an alternative to the now-defunct SAARC framework.
SAARC, which includes India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, has not convened since its last summit in Kathmandu in 2014.
The recent trilateral meeting between Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh in Kunming was a pivotal moment in these discussions, according to reports.
Since the fall of the autocratic government of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh last year, India has found itself increasingly in a tight spot over its decades-long support for Hasina.
The new organisation is being seen as a potential vehicle for enhancing trade and connectivity across the region, addressing the current gaps left by SAARC.
Indians cry foul as Pakistan-China-Bangladesh hold trilateral meeting
Indians on social media are lashing out at the Modi government as Pakistan continues to achieve a streak of diplomatic triumphs.
Senior officials of Pakistan, China and Bangladesh met on Friday and vowed to enhance trilateral cooperation in various sectors such as trade, investment, health, education, maritime affairs and others.
It merits a mention that this trilateral meeting between Pakistan, China and Bangladesh resembles a similar significant trilateral meeting last month between Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan.
After the five-day war between India and Pakistan, only Afghanistan and Israel showed some support to India’s narrative while all its allies remained neutral or sided with Pakistan.
However, soon after the ceasefire, China held a trilateral meeting involving Pakistan and Afghanistan as all countries vowed to enhance trilateral cooperation.
