India, Dec. 10 -- Pakistan is attempting to craft a new regional architecture-one that pointedly excludes India.

Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar recently announced Islamabad's intention to expand its trilateral initiative with Bangladesh and China, hinting at a broader framework aimed at replacing the stagnating South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

However, geopolitical observers are unconvinced.

Given India's vast economic weight, connectivity role, and crisis-response capabilities, experts say no regional nation is likely to risk joining a grouping that sidelines New Delhi.

Speaking last week, Ishaq Dar declared that South Asia can no longer remain trapped in "zero-sum mindsets" and "dysfunctional regi...