The prospects of SCO for Pakistan are being impeded by India’s growing ulterior motives. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization established in 2001. SCO represents three-fifths of the Eurasian continent’s territory, nearly half of the world’s population, and a quarter of global GDP. When Pakistan and India were included in the SCO as permanent members in 2017, Pakistan described this as an opportunity to strengthen ties with regional countries. However, this raised questions regarding the SCO’s benefit to Pakistan and how Indo-Pak hostility will affect Pakistan’s progress.

Keeping in view the security strengths of SCO member states, it is possible that the SCO can assist Pakistan in minimizing border tensions and extending the zone of peace to South and Central Asia. SCO’s main security mission is to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism and enhance regional stability. Pakistan was a major victim of the war on terror,that made it vulnerable to militant organizations. Pakistani security services can benefit from the strategically developed RATS (The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure) forum.

The majority of the expensive and scarce weapons and equipment in the inventory of the Pakistani armed forces are manufactured in the West. Pakistan can explore further routes for technology transfer and increase its defense cooperation with the SCO alliance, particularly Russia, under the SCO framework. General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, the former chief of army staff of Pakistan, visited Moscow in October 2012, giving a clear hint of this likelihood.

On the economic front, Pakistan’s advantageous geo-strategic location can help it maximize its economic benefits. Pakistan provides the shortest transit route to the CARs, China, and Russia to reach the Arabian Sea; using this strategically may provide huge economic and trade benefits. CPEC, a major infrastructure project, is already in its implementation stage. It is evidence of how Pakistan will have new economic zones and increased trade under CPEC, from which all SCO member states can benefit.

Pakistan, being an energy-deficient state, needs energy sources. SCO is a solution to Pakistan’s energy crisis. The major energy producers (Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan) are member states of the SCO. This provides Pakistan with an opportunity to secure its energy requirements. The SCO platform can also help in the materialization of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and the Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project, commonly known by its acronym CASA-1000. The MOU signed between Uzbekistan and Pakistan in 2017 to cooperate in the energy sector depicted the possibility of such future endeavors.

Under the mandate of the SCO, regional stability and peace hold significant importance. Pakistan can utilize the platform to deter India and get the regional support against India’s unprovoked aggression against Pakistan. Particularly in light of India’s unjustified BrahMos missile launch into Pakistani territory, Pakistan must continue to press the SCO to support an arms race deterrence.

The inclusion of India and Pakistan in the SCO in 2017 gave a faint hope that the two countries might resolve their long-standing disputes. The outcome was contrary to that. India has adopted misleading propaganda against Pakistan for years, and it has now spread to the SCO platform. Currently, India is in charge of the chair of the SCO. It has been abusing its position of power by blaming Pakistan for supporting and encouraging terrorism at its meetings. A recent demonstration was seen during the SCO summit held in India, where S. Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs for India, referred to Bhutto Zardari as the “promoter, justifier, and spokesperson of a terrorism industry”.

India is attempting to politicize the group in order to advance its strategic goals. This strategy seems to be similar to previous ones demonstrated at SAARC, leaving the regional organization in an unstable situation. In a recent seminar on the SCO Armed Forces Contribution in Military Medicine, Healthcare, and Pandemic (New Delhi, March 21, 2023), Pakistan was practically denied active participation upon displaying its official map. New Delhi objected to the Pakistani side’s adoption of a map displaying Jammu and Kashmir as its territory.

As an SCO member, India is obligated to support the concepts and objectives set forth in the Shanghai Accords. By disobeying international law and treaties, such as UNSC resolutions on Kashmir, it appears to go against these ideals. This lack of cooperation reveals India’s malifide intent, especially in opposition to programs like BRI and CPEC that seek to advance the regional development. India’s involvement in the Quad has been seen as a plan to balance China, but its involvement in the SCO has been seen as a means of isolating Pakistan and painting it as a state sponsor of terrorism on the global stage.

SCO is an important regional alliance; this organization serves as a role model for Pakistan and India since it demonstrates a special form of Chinese-Russian reconciliation. Despite the current deadlock, it is in the best interests of both nations to work towards peace. In order to restore peace and stability to this area, both nations should avoid accusing each other at public forums. Although South Asia has a lot of potential for cooperation and development, the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan makes progress there difficult.