India Blocks SAARC; Pakistan Teams Up with Bangladesh and China to Form New Regional Bloc

Islamabad/Dhaka/Beijing: Pakistan has blamed India for bringing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to near inactivity, accusing New Delhi of undermining a platform crucial for regional collaboration. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Tahir Hussain Andarabi, said on Thursday that India’s obstruction has weakened SAARC, while Pakistan hopes that the process may resume soon.

Pakistan Seeks a New Bloc
At the same time, Pakistan is attempting to form a new regional grouping, reportedly with the support of China and Bangladesh, bypassing India entirely. “India has repeatedly disrupted the SAARC process. This attitude is regrettable, but Pakistan hopes the process will be revived,” Andarabi said, commenting on ongoing diplomatic efforts by Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to create an alternative regional bloc.

Historical Context of India-Pakistan Tensions in SAARC
Andarabi also recalled that India has previously delayed SAARC initiatives, citing the 1990s when India postponed SAARC summits for reasons unrelated to Pakistan. “India’s actions have consistently slowed cooperation among SAARC nations,” he added.

SAARC’s Declining Influence
Established in 1985, SAARC includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Once seen as the voice of South Asia, the bloc has lost influence over the past decade. Since the Kathmandu summit in 2014, the biennial summits have not taken place, largely due to strained India-Pakistan relations.

Bangladesh Joins the New Grouping
Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, Mohammad Tauhid Hussain, has indicated Dhaka’s willingness to join Pakistan and China in this emerging regional alignment. “Strategically, it is possible for Bangladesh to be part of a regional group with Pakistan and China, without India,” he said, signaling Dhaka’s support for the new initiative.

Pakistan’s move is seen as an attempt to diminish India’s regional influence and create a counterweight in South Asia with strategic backing from China and supportive neighboring states.