Dhaka, Dec. 6 -- Pakistan has proposed expanding an emerging trilateral initiative with Bangladesh and China into a wider regional bloc that excludes India, a move it has pitched as a fresh model of cooperation for South Asia.

The suggestion has been made as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, remains stalled by longstanding India-Pakistan tensions.

In its analysis, Al Jazeera has reported that Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar outlined the idea at the Islamabad Conclave on Wednesday, framing it as a step towards "mutual collaboration" that could be extended to other countries.

The Qatar-based outlet noted that the three-way cooperation was discussed earlier in June when diplomats from China, Pakist...