Huma Khan
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) accounts for leading political actors like China and Russia in addition to South Asian neighbors and Central Asian Republics (CARs). From South Asia, Pakistan and India became the organization’s permanent members simultaneously in 2017. SCO has emerged as a regional force for Eurasian geopolitical endeavors. Specifically, it is working on the economic side for energy cooperation and on the military side for eradicating three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. The membership provides Pakistan with ample opportunities in its foreign policy objectives. It can play a role by crafting regional framework to help other member states fight terrorism. Conclusively, Pakistan’s relations with CARs can also achieve new heights and regional issues between member states can be discussed.
SCO, an acronym for Shanghai Cooperation Organization, came to the geopolitical surface as a permanent intergovernmental organization in 2001 which includes Central Asian Republics (CARs) like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The other two being China and Russia. The annual Heads of the State Council meeting of SCO in Astana in 2017, Pakistan and India were simultaneously given full permanent membership. Moreover, it has four observer states; Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran as well as Mongolia, while the six dialogue partners are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka.
The Charter of SCO adheres to the principles of United Nations which accounts for maintaining international peace and security, cordial relations and cooperation among member states. The charter also elucidates for cooperation in high politics like foreign policy issues, fighting the three evils of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, disarmament as well as trade and investments. The low politics are the areas of cooperation under environmental issues, science and technology as well as information exchange. The organization has two permanent bodies; the Secretariat and Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). The former deal with the issues under the stated three evils.
Pakistan holds a vision for SCO which is in line with its foreign policy objectives of 21st century. Pakistan has become a part of SCO at a time when its transactional relations with US is declining. Pakistan is slowly and gradually tilting towards the rising bloc of the East which hold economic incentives in terms of CPEC and military incentives in terms of cooperation with Russia. Unsurprisingly, both China and Russia and the leading political players in SCO as well.
Pakistan is cognizant of the fact about the changing regional security with the peaceful rise of China as well as resurging Russia. Therefore, its joining in SCO confirms Pakistan’s vision of security in the 21st century. This accounts for national security in compliance with regional security. SCO provides one such multilateral platform for Pakistan to engage with Eurasian landmass.
After Pakistan became a full member of SCO in 2017, it holds significance in the Eurasian geopolitics for Pakistan on three planes; political, economic and strategic. Pakistan has vast experience of countering terrorism to a greater extent and this menace has almost been rooted out. Such achievements can prove to be beneficial for the regional security as well. Pakistan wants to share its experience in counter terrorism so that other member states may pursue their independent foreign policy goals. This aspect is elucidated in the Article 1 of the charter of organization. Besides terrorism, separatism and extremism are also a common threat for member states of SCO. The RATS structure can organize joint exercises as well as conferences to uplift its profile in order to secure regional security and peace.
Pakistan is also facing acute energy crisis and shortages. The government of Pakistan is importing gas and oil from resource-rich CARs who are also the member states of SCO. Such viable options from CARs can overcome energy scarcity from Pakistan under the banner of SCO. CPEC which is part of BRI in tandem with SCO speaks volumes about vision and importance of Pakistan for landlocked countries of CARs.
There exists a very disturbing impression as far as SCO is perceived from the lens of the west. Although it is dubbed as “NATO of the East” by the naysayer scholars yet it accounts for economic and political cooperation as well. Besides security cooperation, the former aspect is very much predominant when compared with NATO. Moreover, the intended purpose of the organizations was to build confidence building measures (CBMs) along the disturbing borders. Those CBMs accounts for Treaty of Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions as well as Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces in Border Regions.
Speaking in terms of South Asia, Pakistan and India perceived each other as archrivals. Kashmir quagmire still remains to be a bone of contention and an outstanding dispute in the said bilateral relations. However, with the permanent membership in SCO, Pakistan can put up the case of Kashmir on the platform of SCO. Unlike UN, it provides a platform for the resolution of the said dispute owing to organization’s repute as well as strong influential clout of China and Russia. It can also be pursued diplomatically on the sidelines of the annual meetings of SCO. It is also pertinent to mention here that for the said issues, academic research has already been started in the scholarly circles.
On the other side, the hegemonic designs of India and its revisionist policies could render SCO’s fate similar to SAARC. Owing to India’s strategic partnership with US, fragile relations with Pakistan, animosity with China, India’s disposition in the organization might lead to instability of SCO. Such analysis also stems from different western scholars as a consequence of the reasons above. However, two friendly states like China and Russia and brotherly relations with Islamic CARs, India could be convinced to change its strategic disposition towards the emerging eastern bloc. That rests on the common as well as individuals goals of the member states.
Water issues remains to be a lifeline for Pakistan especially when India is violating the waters of Pakistan against the provisions of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) and under the nose of World Bank (WB). SCO provides yet another but a different platform for the resolution of water issue between Pakistan and India.
SCO provides ample opportunities for Pakistan and vice-versa in terms of political, economic and strategic gains. On one hand it holds prospects for the South Asia region for interconnectivity and economic interdependence. Moreover, it can also bring fragile bilateral relations of India and Pakistan to the platform of SCO for resolution of outstanding disputes. Whereas, on the other hand, India remains to be a bone of contention in SCO configuration that can ultimately leads towards the instability of the organization. Just as it has been the case with SAARC countries. Therefore, Pakistan must aggressively engage all the member states of SCO to pursue India to resolve the disputes through platform of SCO.
– The author is Director Research and Advisory Board Member of Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), and specialist of development sector.
CGSS is a non-profit institute and Think Tank based in Islamabad.
