Pakistan, China forge new bloc to challenge India's regional sway

• Pakistan is reportedly pushing a Beijing-backed blueprint to challenge India’s geopolitical dominance in South Asia.
• Deputy PM Ishaq Dar announced plans to expand a trilateral initiative with Bangladesh and China to include other regional and extra-regional nations.
• The proposed core alliance (Pakistan, China, Bangladesh) aims to integrate economic and infrastructural interests, deepening China's strategic reach.
• The initiative seeks to invite nations like Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives, potentially reshaping the established South Asian regional framework.
• New Delhi is closely watching this move, which implicitly challenges India’s "Neighbourhood First" policy and its role as the indispensable regional power.

Why It Matters: It could reshape South Asian power dynamics, challenging India's regional influence.