India, June 30 -- Pakistan and China, the all-weather allies, are working on a proposal to form a regional organisation that will potentially replace the now defunct South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which also included India, media reports said.

Discussions between Islamabad and Beijing are now at an advanced stage as both sides are convinced that a new organisation is need of the hour for regional integration and connectivity, diplomatic sources familiar with the development told The Express Tribune.

The meeting was attended by senior diplomats.

The ultimate goal of the meeting in Kunming on June 19 was to invite other South Asian countries, which were part of SAARC, to join the new grouping, the newspaper rep...