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Noureen Akhtar
Pakistan has the honor of hosting the SCO Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad on the 15th and 16th of October, 2024, this event is of paramount importance. The SCO is a wide geopolitical organization that engages a huge territory and can become a platform with additional authority for Pakistan aimed at improving the image of the country abroad. Since becoming a member of the SCO in 2017 Pakistan has realized that there is a huge scope for economic cooperation and political power within this organization.
Hosting the SCO Heads of Government meeting is a milestone for Pakistan to enhance its global image and strengthen regional ties.
The summit will be a great opportunity for Pakistan to demonstrate its activity on the world stage and its relevance in the region. It seems that with improved diplomacy, political-economy cooperation, and impact-focused cultural affiliation, Pakistan can more positively redefine its image internationally. The SCO meeting will demonstrate Pakistan’s ability to organize Summits and display Pakistan’s intention of contributing positively towards SCO’s peace and the spirit of integrating its member countries for sustainable development.
This is especially relevant as personalities at the international level consider the SCO as an organization, which may help in responding to crucial challenges facing the world nowadays, namely terrorism, developing economic relations as well as sharing values through increasing cultural ties.
It has an opportunity and at the same time organizing such a high-profile event also provides an authority to Pakistan to consolidate its existing relations while at the same time building new relations with neighboring and other big powers. Such engagements are important to publicize the country’s potential in terms of export destination and an influx of Foreign Direct Investment, FDI. because of its location at the junction that connects South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, which SCO encourages through connectivity improvement, Pakistan has many advantages.
Since joining the SCO in 2017, Pakistan has seen immense potential for economic cooperation and geopolitical influence within the organization.
However, it also has the added political benefit of allowing Pakistan to show a diverse and varied culture and warm the enveloping with member states. Through various activities undertaken under the scope, Pakistan can market itself as an attractive place for doing business. This is pertinent, especially given the prospects of negotiations concerning regional trade and physical connectivity connected to projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
SCO also offers an opportunity to solve such important tasks as energy security and combating terrorism. Engagement at this level shows that Pakistan plays an active role in the organization of this nature for regional peace and the socio-economic uplift of the region. With regard to these matters, Pakistan could improve its relations with the Central Asian states via cooperation with other member-states in the sphere of security matters and the exchange of information through intelligence-sharing projects.
The promotion of the ‘Shanghai Spirit’ which is the political principle of trusting and respecting each other among member countries will help Pakistan achieve the common welfare of the members and the development of each member country. This ethos is relevant to creating synergies in the development of collaborative architecture for both business and social causes including poverty reduction, which is one of the key priorities of Pakistan in the SCO.
This summit is an opportunity for Pakistan to demonstrate its diplomatic relevance and contribute to regional peace and sustainable development.
With the global audience now so fixated on this particular summit, Pakistan needs to seize yet another opportunity to ascend to a new level of its diplomatic responsibility. Mainly by being involved in regional problems as an intermediary and participating in socio-cultural activities favorable image of Pakistan will be created in the MEA members’ countries consequently increasing the soft power of Pakistan.
The forthcoming SCO Heads of States meeting, therefore, is cardinal to define a new Pakistani narrative coupled with synergy between economy and politics while evolving multilateralism. With planned leadership delegation visits to Islamabad in the very near future, it is for Islamabad to leverage this opportunity not only to demonstrate its capacity but more so establish an unshakable ground for investment in an emerging market.
There is no lack of difficulties in continuing the way onward; yet if the government of Pakistan pursues diplomacy and cooperation within the framework of the SCO it is possible to have a future for the country and the world that is brighter and full of potential on various regional and global planes.
The Author is a PhD Scholar (SPIR-QAU) and has worked on various public policy issues as a Policy Consultant in the National Security Division (NSD), Prime Minister Office (PMO). Currently, she is editor Stratheia and works for Islamabad Policy Research Institution (IPRI) as a Non-Resident Policy Research Consultant. Her work has been published in local and International publications. She can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/noureen-akhtar-188502253/ and akhtarnoureen26@gmail.com . She Tweets @NoureenAkhtar16
