SCO Summit: Opportunities for Pakistan

Pakistan, which is rich in natural resources such as coal, gas, and minerals, presents appealing potential for foreign investment, particularly among SCO members looking to strengthen economic links.

 

Pakistan’s hosting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is a land mark for country’s growing signifi­cance in regional dynam­ics and is an opportunity to demonstrate its diplomatic feat, achieve strategic objec­tives and economic revival. With the theme of the sum­mit, “Strengthening Multi­lateral Dialogue; Striving towards a Sustainable Peace and Prosperity,” Pakistan aims to send a strong mes­sage to the world: it is a na­tion committed to peace, stability, and growth. The SCO, which boasts nine in­fluential member states in­cluding China, Russia, India, Iran, and the Central Asian Republics (CARs), offers Pakistan a platform to rein­force its strategic relevance. Furthermore, the summit is a response to those who have argued that Pakistan is an unstable or unsafe country. Hosting such a high-profile event is a testament to the country’s diplomatic prow­ess in holding such an event of international magnitude. In a rapidly evolving geo­political environment, this summit also allows Pakistan to highlight its role as a reli­able partner in promoting re­gional stability and economic connectivity, especially given its strategic position as a link between South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Pakistan is extremely im­portant to the SCO because of its strategic geographic loca­tion, which connects South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, offering critical access to the Arabian Sea for landlocked Central Asian Re­publics. This interconnected­ness converts Pakistan into an important transit center for commerce and energy lines inside the SCO. Paki­stan, which is rich in natu­ral resources such as coal, gas, and minerals, presents appealing potential for for­eign investment, particularly among SCO members look­ing to strengthen economic links. Simplifying the organi­zation’s free trade and tariff rules further boosts the pos­sibility for increasing exports and fostering economic coop­eration. Furthermore, Paki­stan is a major participant in the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which enhances the collective security of member nations, thanks to its vast counter­terrorism experience, which has been molded by years of fighting extremism.

Hosting the SCO summit of­fers Pakistan a strategic op­portunity to strengthen its diplomatic ties and engage in multilateral relations with key global powers like Rus­sia, China, and the Central Asian Republics (CARs). This international forum offers Pakistan with a much-needed reprieve from its fragile bilat­eral relations, notably with India, following the repeal of Article 370, which heightened tensions over the Kashmir dispute. Despite the tensions, Pakistan has extended an in­vitation to India, demonstrat­ing its commitment to diplo­matic engagement. Although India’s External Affairs Min­ister S. Jaishankar has stated that his visit is only for the SCO summit, with no discus­sion of bilateral relations, the occasion remains a rare chance to mitigate some of the tension. Furthermore, the summit enables Pakistan to explore new possibilities for economic cooperation, such as strengthening connections through projects like the Chi­na-Pakistan Economic Corri­dor (CPEC) and encouraging foreign investment in fields other than infrastructure, such as technology, energy, and agriculture. For example, the proposed TAP (Turkmen­istan-Afghanistan-Pakistan) pipeline might foster new en­ergy collaboration with Cen­tral Asian countries, therefore strengthening the region’s energy infrastructure and de­pendability. Pakistan also has the opportunity to establish itself as a hub for regional commerce and logistics, at­tracting investment from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. This multidi­mensional partnership would not only benefit Pakistan’s economy, but would also ce­ment its position as a signifi­cant regional power.

Pakistan’s active participa­tion in the SCO is hindered by political instability and gov­ernance issues, which hinder diplomatic efforts and weak­en the country’s ability to meet international commit­ments. Pakistan needs to ad­dress these issues and form strategic alliances within the SCO to play a more proactive role and influence the organi­zation, especially when China and Russia dominate deci­sion-making. The SCO is fre­quently seen as a counterbal­ance to Western alliances like NATO, which raises fears that this meeting may be seen as anti-Western. Pakistan must carefully weigh its options before participating in order to avoid jeopardizing its ties with the West. Presenting the SCO as a regional organiza­tion for collaboration and stability rather than as hos­tile against the West is the diplomatic problem at hand.

Pakistan has a crucial op­portunity to make its mark on the international scene during the SCO summit. Paki­stan’s hosting of this event strengthens its economic and security credentials while also improving its diplomatic status. The involvement of in­ternational leaders from the region, such as China, Russia, and India, highlights how cru­cial Pakistan is to fostering stability and collaboration in the area. Pakistan’s strategic objectives are aligned with the summit’s emphasis on multilateral discourse, eco­nomic growth, and security cooperation, which also of­fers a framework for tackling some of the region’s most urgent issues. As the world looks on, Pakistan has a rare chance to show that it is a trustworthy and accountable member of the global com­munity that is dedicated to creating a more peaceful and prosperous future for the re­gion and the world.

OMAY AIMEN

— The author is an
independent researcher who writes on issues concerning national and regional security, focusing on matters having critical impact in these milieus. She can be reached at omayaimen333@gmail.com.