Pakistan keen to join SCO as full-member
- By Fazal-ur-Rahman
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China.org.cn, June 22, 2011
The June 15, 2011 Astana Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization marked the body's tenth anniversary. Its track-record over the last decade may not seem impressive on its face, but it has helped build confidence amongst its members by establishing a number of mechanisms. SCO has also been instrumental in developing consensus among its members on important issues such as peace and security at regional and global levels. In its ten years of existence, it has been successful in preventing inter-state conflicts among its members.
On the other hand, the SCO has not been very effective in helping its members manage internal instability and turmoil. Though SCO has ambitious plans for regional economic integration, in practical terms little has been implemented to those ends. The progress on this front has mostly occurred under bilateral arrangements, not within the framework of the SCO.
Pakistan has expressed interest in engaging with the SCO since the organization's inception. When the "Shanghai Five" decided to form the SCO in early 2001, Pakistan was the first country to apply for "Observer" status. Initially, Pakistan's Afghan policy was a major stumbling block in joining the SCO as Pakistan and some of the SCO member states were supporting opposite groups in the Afghan conflict. China has supported Pakistan's inclusion as both a member and an observer, while Russia was interested in simultaneously inviting India. At that time, India had expressed negligible interest in joining the SCO.
At a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of SCO in June 2005, applications of Pakistan, Iran and India were considered and approved, granting Observer status in the SCO at the Council of Heads of States Meeting in Astana on July 5, 2005. Pakistan was first to apply for full membership in the organization. Pakistan believes that its geo-strategic location at the cross-roads of Central South and West Asia offers it enormous opportunities for intraregional cooperation and integration.
Pakistan's membership as an "Observer" in the SCO has helped it strengthen its relations with the neighbouring countries. In view of the post 9/11 developments in the region, the SCO has provided a new platform for Pakistan to discuss security matters with its neighbors. The conflict in Afghanistan is going on in the middle of the SCO's geographic domain. Pakistan has suffered a great deal due to the adverse effects of its involvement in the U.S.-led war on terrorism. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's war in Afghanistan has consequently created a new breed of terrorists in Pakistan who are sympathizers to Afghani resistance forces and against the U.S. and its allies. They also consider Pakistan as a U.S. ally. Pakistan's cooperation is crucial to overall anti-terrorism efforts and regional peace and stability.
As anti-terrorism is a priority area in the SCO framework, therefore cooperation between Pakistan and SCO is logical and necessary. Pakistan has been fighting the menace of terrorism and extremism for over a decade now; return of peace and stability in Afghanistan is a prerequisite for eliminating terrorism in the region. Pakistan feels that the special SCO contact group on Afghanistan can play an important role in developing a consensus among its members and observers on ways to resolving this lingering issue. SCO as a regional organization must safeguard the legitimate interests and stakes of the neighboring countries of Afghanistan and undertake appropriate initiatives to create conditions of durable peace in Afghanistan and the region.
Pakistan, though still an Observer in the SCO, attaches great importance to the Organization and feels that there are many areas of common interest and through SCO it would not only benefit but could reciprocate as well in many ways. Once accepted as a full member of the SCO, Pakistan's operational area of security and economic considerations would be enlarged, thereby facilitating meaningful interaction with the SCO members and creating deeper trust and expanding cooperation in various fields. Although Pakistan has signed bilateral anti-terrorism cooperation agreements with some of the SCO member states, SCO's regional anti-terrorism structure (RATS) will help Pakistan in institutionalizing anti-terrorism cooperation in a more comprehensive manner and at a wider scale. In the last visit of President Zardari to Russia, Russian leadership has made positive gestures towards Pakistan's full membership in the SCO. It is hoped that Pakistan would be accepted as a member in the near future and play its role for regional stability and prosperity.
The author is Director of the China Study Center, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad. He is also a PhD candidate at the Department of South Asian Studies, Peking University.
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