THE Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has emerged as one of the most significant platforms for multipolar cooperation in Eurasia. For Pakistan, a relatively new entrant into this bloc, the SCO represents both opportunity and challenge: a vehicle for geoeconomic leverage, connectivity and diplomatic balance, yet also a forum constrained by internal rivalries and external shocks. Islamabad’s perspective is pragmatic—supportive of reforms that enhance economic integration and institutional efficiency, but cautious about the risks that accompany great power competition and regional instability.

Pakistan has consistently argued that the SCO must evolve beyond its original security-centric mandate. While counterterrorism and stability remain core priorities, Islamabad emphasizes that the organization’s future credibility lies in its ability to deliver economic dividends. This requires expanding SCO authority into trade, transit and digital innovation. Amending the Charter and formulating a Partnership Agreement are seen as necessary steps to institutionalize cooperation.

Pakistan’s advocacy is not abstract; it is grounded in its own geoeconomic vision. The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative, is repeatedly highlighted as a “force multiplier” for SCO connectivity. By linking South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, Pakistan positions itself as a hub of transit and energy corridors. In Islamabad’s calculus, SCO reform is not merely bureaucratic tinkering—it is about embedding Pakistan’s geography into Eurasia’s economic bloodstream.

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© Pakistan Observer