Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) enters a consequential new phase as Pakistan assumes the chairmanship for 2026–27, following the Bishkek summit marking the organization’s 25th anniversary.
The summit adopted the Bishkek Declaration and a broad package of agreements covering security, connectivity, transport, digital cooperation, climate, health and humanitarian affairs. Pakistan’s chairmanship therefore comes at a moment when the SCO is increasingly important to Eurasia’s political stability and economic future.
The SCO is no longer simply a security forum. Its members represent more than 40 percent of humanity and roughly one-quarter of global GDP, giving the organization considerable economic and diplomatic weight. Its greatest potential lies in connecting major economies, energy producers, consumer markets and strategically located states through infrastructure, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
The Belt and Road Initiative has complemented this objective by helping develop transport, energy and logistical links across Eurasia. China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in particular, offers a potential connection between western China, Pakistan, the Arabian Sea and wider SCO markets.
Pakistan is well positioned to turn this geographical advantage into practical diplomacy. Its location at the intersection of South Asia, Central Asia, China and the Middle East makes it a natural bridge for Eurasian connectivity. Pakistan has already emphasized transport links, trade, poverty alleviation, youth empowerment and economic cooperation within the SCO.
Its record demonstrates that this is not an entirely new responsibility. Pakistan hosted the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Islamabad in October 2024, while its initiatives helped advance cooperation on connectivity and poverty reduction.
It is also the permanent chair of the SCO Special Working Group on Poverty Alleviation and has chaired the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure during 2025–26. These experiences provide Islamabad with institutional knowledge and credibility as it assumes the broader chairmanship.
Pakistan should use the coming year to make the SCO more practical rather than merely more declaratory. Trade facilitation, customs modernization, transport corridors, digital connectivity, food security, energy cooperation and tourism deserve particular attention.
The proposed SCO Development Bank could eventually provide another mechanism for financing regional infrastructure, although negotiations remain ongoing rather than completed.
The SCO also has an important role in the evolution of global governance. Its strength is its diversity: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Central Asian states and Belarus bring different political systems, economic structures and strategic interests to the same table.
This makes the organization a useful example of dialogue among diverse states rather than ideological uniformity.
For an equitable multipolar order, major powers must demonstrate respect for international law, sovereignty and the UN Charter. The Bishkek Declaration’s reaffirmation of international law and the UN’s central role is therefore significant. China has consistently advocated multilateralism, development and greater representation for the Global South.
Its growing economic role gives these ideas considerable practical influence, although—as with every major power its international conduct should continue to be assessed against universal legal standards rather than political alignment.
Pakistan can contribute an important middle-power perspective. Its support for multilateralism, peaceful dispute resolution and a stronger UN role fits naturally with the SCO’s emphasis on dialogue and consensus. Pakistan has previously advocated a multipolar world grounded in multilateralism and highlighted the UN’s coordinating role.
The ultimate test of Pakistan’s chairmanship, however, will be whether the SCO’s principles translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives. Islamabad should therefore prioritize economic corridors over geopolitical confrontation, connectivity over isolation, and development over zero-sum competition.
The 2027 SCO summit in Islamabad will be the centerpiece of Pakistan’s tenure. It provides Pakistan with an opportunity to demonstrate that its strategic geography can become an economic asset for the entire region.
If Pakistan combines diplomatic bridge building with practical initiatives in trade, security, connectivity and poverty reduction, its chairmanship can strengthen not only the SCO but also the wider cause of a more balanced, connected and prosperous Eurasia.
