ISLAMABAD, Oct 13 (APP): Experts and analysts on international and regional affairs believe that the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad will be an important opportunity for Pakistan to strengthen its economic and diplomatic ties with member countries and to agree on a unified strategy for countering terrorism.
The 23rd two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is scheduled to take place on October 15 and 16 in Islamabad.
The SCO was established in 2001 and has nine member states, including China, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan as its founding members while Pakistan, India and Iran joined the organization in 2017.
In preparation for the SCO meeting, the Pakistani government has implemented strict security measures, deploying thousands of police with military forces to ensure law and order and safety during the event.
Regional affairs experts and analysts said that the SCO presents a significant diplomatic and economic opportunity for Pakistan.
International relations expert at Institute of Strategic Study Islamabad (ISSI) Muhammad Taimur Khan said that this summit is a great opportunity for Pakistan to clarify how it can attract investment and contribute to regional connectivity.
Talking to APP he said, “This gives Pakistan an opportunity to push forward its economic and geopolitical interests on a broader stage, advocating for policies that promote regional peace, security, and prosperity. Through this engagement, Pakistan can not only deepen its ties with key regional players but also assert itself as a vital link in the broader Eurasian connectivity initiative.”
Analysts believe the SCO is a big platform and it can turnaround not only in the region but in the entire world. “Pakistan, which is the 5th largest populas country in the world and its strategic location for international trade has further increased its significance to grabe the opportunity for benefits of its people,” senior journalist Iftikhar Shirazi told APP.
He said discussions on security issues and current regional terrorism will also be significant at this summit, adding,” security issues and terrorism are a key agenda item for the SCO, and this meeting is important for discussing and resolving the issues particularly the terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, which poses a serious threat to the entire region.”
According to a new United Nations report the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is “the largest terrorist group” in Afghanistan and receives growing support from the Afghan Taliban to conduct cross-border attacks in Pakistan.
Experts note that there is a growing trend in Pakistan to shift from a geo-strategic to a geo-economic focus, and this SCO summit will be an opportunity for Pakistan to advance and clarify this strategy.
Muneeb Salman, an international and financial affairs researcher, noted that this will be an important conference, particularly for Pakistan’s connectivity with Central Asia, given the prior work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Talking to APP, he mentioned that bilateral trade between Pakistan and China is nearly $20 billion, but connecting Pakistan with resources rich Central Asia remains a long-standing ambition.
The gathering is expected to result in the adoption of key measures aimed at enhancing economic partnerships among member states and approving the SCO’s budget for the upcoming year.
The summit will bring together Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Belarusian PM Roman Golovchenko and Iran’s First Vice President Reza Aref. Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Kyrgyzstan’s Akylbek Japarov, Tajikistan’s Kohir Rasulzoda, and Uzbekistan’s Abdulla Aripov are also expected to participate in the meeting.
India’s Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar will represent his country.
