Pakistan and China are planning to form a new regional bloc to replace SAARC, where India played a prominent role. According to a report by Pakistan’s The Express Tribune, discussions between Islamabad and Beijing on this new alliance are already at an advanced stage. The report also said that Bangladesh too joined the meeting that was held in Kunming, China, on June 19 to discuss the new bloc. The main purpose of the meeting was to bring in other South Asian countries that were part of SAARC and invite them to join this new group, the report added.
What is SAARC and Why is it inactive?
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC initially began in 1985 with 7 founding members, and Afghanistan had joined the group later in 2007. However, the group has been mostly inactive since 2016.
Although there has not been a formal SAARC leaders summit since the 2014 meeting in Kathmandu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did hold a video conference in 2020 to bring member countries together during the Covid-19 pandemic. During that meeting, he suggested setting up a Covid-19 emergency fund and said that India would give $10 million to support it.
The 19th SAARC Summit was planned for November 2016 in Islamabad. But India chose not to attend after a terror attack in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, where 17 Indian soldiers were killed. Following India’s decision, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Bhutan also pulled out, raising concerns over terrorism and outside interference. As a result, the summit was cancelled and has not been held since.
China and Pakistan propose new regional bloc – Will India participate?
According to The Express Tribune, Pakistan and China believe that the time has come to create a new group to improve regional cooperation and connectivity. The report says this new alliance could include other SAARC members such as Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Afghanistan. There has been no mention of India taking part in this new regional bloc.
A meeting to discuss the idea was held on June 19 in Kunming, China, with Bangladesh also attending. However, Bangladesh has denied that any new political grouping is being formed. Officials from Dhaka said it was only a meeting between government officials and not a political move. They stressed that Bangladesh is not joining any new alliance with China and Pakistan.
The Express Tribune report also said that India might be invited to be part of the new group, but because of different national interests, it is unlikely that India will accept the offer. The report adds that India has always aimed to use SAARC for better cooperation in the region, while Pakistan mainly focused on gaining benefits from the group.
One example mentioned is the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, which Pakistan took part in. However, India suspended this scheme after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.