Reema Shaukat
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation grew out of the “Shanghai Five,” which was founded in 1996. The SCO was founded with an aim to strengthen relations among member states and promote cooperation in political affairs, economics and trade. The group, which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as full members. Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have an observer status. In a short period of time, the SCO has already begun to emerge as an important regional and international player and many compare its prospect and strength as of European Union and some term it as counterweight to NATO. Pakistan, which has been an observer at the SCO since 2005, applied for a permanent membership in 2010.
The 2017 SCO summit was important for Pakistan as it was formally admitted into the group. Beside Pakistan, India also became member of SCO and being now members of SCO, both Pakistan and India are expected to mend their ties and uphold the spirit of the SCO. In 2015 SCO summit was held in Ufa Russia, where the group had formally adopted a resolution which started the procedure to admit India and Pakistan into the SCO. Both the countries signed a Memorandum of Obligations to join the organisation and now with the enclosure of Pakistan and India as members, SCO will become a regional organisation with the largest reporting involving the biggest population.
Recently, SCO summit was held at Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek, where the eight heads of SCO member states signed documents focusing on cooperation. A statement released after the 19th summit said that there can be no justification for any acts of terrorism and extremism. The declaration mentioned that the member states consider it important to implement comprehensive measures to more effectively counter terrorism and its ideology, to expose and eliminate various factors and conditions that facilitate terrorism and extremism. Declaration further mentioned that SCO members noted the unacceptability of interfering in the domestic affairs of states under the pretext of countering terrorism and extremism, as well as the unacceptability of using terrorist, extremist and radical groups for mercenary purposes. The SCO member states that have signed the Code of Conduct to Achieve a Terrorism-Free World advocated “consistent implementation of its provisions”.
Addressing the 19th Meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of SCO, Prime Minister Imran Khan presented 8-pronged course of action. PM said that Pakistan builds its partnerships based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and equal benefit. Our other endowments include a vast pool of skilled human resource, a large agrarian base, tremendous tourism potential, diverse mineral wealth, and a developed IT infrastructure. He further added that in due course of time, CPEC is destined to catalyse the creation of an integrated pan-Asian sphere of shared prosperity as epicentres of economic power and growth momentum are shifting eastwards.
Hence, regional integration is speeding up and disruptive technologies are maturing. The premier said that there were threats from terrorism to climate change to narcotics to bacterial resistance.
Additionally, he said there were increasing barriers to open trade and innovation as well as growing intolerance and Islamophobia, which were “threatening to accentuate religious fault-lines”. He said that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all forms including state terrorism against people under illegal occupation. While sharing that Pakistan fully supports efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process, he said that there was finally a realisation that there was no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. Therefore, SCO’s support for post-conflict Afghanistan will remain crucial. While appreciating the contributions being made by China, Russia and Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours to the process, Prime Minister also mentioned that South Asia continued to be challenged by “common enemies” of poverty, illiteracy, disease and under-development. Political differences and unresolved disputes further compound the predicament. He concluded that enduring peace and prosperity in South Asia will remain elusive until the main dynamic in South Asia is shifted from confrontation to cooperation.
With India and Pakistan being permanent members there is much hearsay as to how both countries will mould their future relations, particularly Indian behaviour which is mostly hostile towards Pakistan and PM Modi is selected gain for second term. Pakistan is looking forward for efforts in endorsing security, economic and trade cooperation among member states besides cooperating in efforts to address the challenge of terrorism. It is imperative to mention that SCO’s major emphasis is on enhancing regional cooperation along with handling the peril of terrorism and increasing militancy in region and ensuring regional security. Surely this can be achieved effectively with coordinated efforts among member states and inclusion of Pakistan as associate depicts that SCO countries equally realize the Pakistan’s efforts in curbing militancy.
It is speculated by some circles that both India and Pakistan might not play pivotal role in SCO as expected and that both countries will end up with the kind of role they used to have in SAARC summits and hostility will always prevail. But with India as a giant state in SAARC, the case of SCO is pretty different as, China which is a dominant power in SCO and Russia equally trying to gain back its strength and hold authority in regional politics, chances of uni-centred power are less. India’s membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan’s entry into the grouping was backed by China.
It is expected that with its growing influence in region SCO will represent over 40% of humanity and nearly 20% of the global GDP. Secondly, while understanding the importance of regional connectivity Pakistan is giving due acknowledgement to OBOR and work on CPEC projects are gaining pace. SCO is going to be an economic forerunner if countries play their productive role and leave behind bequest of cooperation not conflict and SCO will facilitate Pakistan more in highlighting its role for regional economic and security cooperation.
For SCO to succeed and keep the ball rolling every player has to step forward to make this club not only prolific on the economic front but other areas of mutual interest also.
