Q.2 How the reform movement of Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi influenced the history of Muslim India?

 Intro:
 Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, commonly known as Mujaddid-e-Alf-Sani (the reformer of the
second millennium), was born on 26 June, 1564, in Sirhind, a city of East Punjab.
 He was educated at home and was inducted into mysticism by his father, Sheikh
Abdul-al-Ahad, who was himself an eminent Sufi.
 His name was Ahmad and last name was Badr al-Din.
 At the age of 36, he went to Delhi and there he met Khawaja Baqi Billah who
introduced him to the Naqshbandi Silsilah.
 He died on 15 December, 1624, at the age of 60 years.
 Shaykh Aḥmad, who through his paternal line traced his descent from the caliph ʿUmar
I (the second caliph of Islam), received a traditional Islamic education at home and later
at Siālkot (now in Pakistan).
 Mujaddid’s Reforms:
 Successful Jihad against Deen-e-Elahi
o Sirhindi was born in the age of Mughal emperor Akbar (1596-1542 or 1014A.H.-
949A.H.).
o At the time of Akbar’s death, Shaikh was 43 years old.
o We can trace out a glimpse of the religious thinking of king Akbar’s age.
o The initial time span was totally different then the later one.
o In the beginning, Akbar was a complete religious man who turned himself into a
mujtahid (religious administrator). (Montakhab al Tavarikh vol. 2)
o But latterly he (Akbar) considered that Islam had been passed away one
thousand years and now there was no need to keep any relation with
Mohammedan Prophethood.
o Sirhindi labeled this age as “the age of the Islamic poverty"
o During his period the Muslims in India had become so deficient in the
knowledge of true Islam that they had more belief in Karamat or miracles of the
saints than Islamic teachings.
o The Ulema and theologians of the time had ceased to refer to the Quran and
Hadith in their commentaries, and considered jurispredence the only religious
knowledge.
o Akbar, the Mughal King had started a series of experiments with Islam,
propagating his own religion, Deen-e-Elahi, an amalgamation of Hindu and
Muslim beliefs.
o Akbar’s policies led to acceptance of religious pluralism and integration. Akbar
happen to come under the influence of Mulla Mubarak’s two sons Abul Fazl
and Faizi.
o Both brothers were persecuted by orthodox Ulema and ultimately found
refuge in Akbar’s court.
o Both belonged to wahdat al-wujood school of Sufism.
o Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Being) is the most liberal Sufi school.
 o In these circumstances, Sheikh Ahmed set upon himself the task of purifying
the Muslim society.
o His aim was to rid Islam of the accretions of Deen-e-Elahi/wahdat al-wujood
which were considered similar to Hindu Pantheism.
o However the Mujaddid succeeded in his efforts at last and Jahangir cancelled
all those orders of his father which were against the spirit of Islam and thus
Deen-e-Elahi came to an ignoble end.
 Refusal to prostrate before Jahangir
o As soon as Akbar died and Jahangir ascended the throne, Sheikh Ahmed
Sarhindi came out to reform and to do away with all un-Islamic practices and
beliefs initiated by Akbar among the Muslims.
o Sheikh Ahmed Sarhindi never entered into any political conflict directly.
o He wrote letters to all the nobles’ of Jahangir’s court. Most of them were the
same who were present in Akbar’s court.
o The opponents of Sheikh also came out and he was dubbed as an atheist by
them.
o So Sheikh was summoned to the court of Jahangir and was asked to bend
down.
o He was so rigid in his approach towards Islam that he did not bend before the
emperor as per the prevalent custom.
o His plea that bending down before anyone except Allah was un-Islamic
annoyed Jahangir, who ordered for his imprisonment in the Fort of Gawaliar
for two years due to his discourteous behaviour.

 Preaching of Islam during the Imprisonment in Gawaliar’s Fort

o Hazrat Mujaddid continued preaching of Islam during the imprisonment in the
Fort of Gawaliar.
o Due to his efforts thousands Non-Muslims accepted Islam.
o After a year however, Jahangir under the influence of his Islamic writings
released him from jail and offered huge gifts to him.
o The king befriended and respected the Sheikh. He listened to his advices.
o After Maghrib prayers the king would grant him special audience where Sheikh
would talk about religious affairs to Jahangir. He asked his son Shah Jahan to
become a spiritual disciple of the Sheikh.
 Wahdat-al-Shuhud
o The philosophy of Wahdat-al-wujud was presented by some Sufis of Akbar’s
time. They believed that the entire universe is the symbol of Almighty God and
a source of revelation of God’s sovereignty.
o He vehemently opposed the Sufi doctrine of Wahdat-al-Wujud which
maintained, that real Being is Allah and we are all His manifestations. This
(Wahdat-al-Wujud) approach resulted in bringing about greater unity among
people of different religion, race and tribe.
 o He was highly critical of the philosophy of Wahdat-al-Wujud, against which he
gave his philosophy of Wahdat-al-Shuhud.
o Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi preached the doctrine of what he called Wahdat-al-
Shuhud i.e. unity of witnessing.
o Thus he maintained that we are not manifestation of One Being but it is only
an appearance, not reality.
o The implications of the doctrine of Wahdat-al-Shuhud were quite grave as it
emphasizes superiority of people of one religion on the other and for that
reason that religion should be kept pure and divested of all other influences.
 Maktubat-e-Imam Rabbani
o Shiekh Ahmed adopted an effective method of persuasion by writing letters to
the leading nobles of the royal court.
o His letters are known as Maktubat-e-Imam Rabbani.
o Through preaching, discussions and his Maktubat (letters) addressed to
important nobles and leaders of religious thought, he spread his message
amongst the elite in particular.
o Letters and messages were sent to exhort them (elites) to serve the cause of
Islam.
o He also requested the scholars to show the right path to the people, and the
King.
o He asked the saints to give up their un-Islamic practices and beliefs.
 Books and Magazines (Risala)
o Rejecting the heterodoxies of the great Mughal Emperior Akbar, this eminent
Islamic mystic of this time and a hardcore Sunni Muslim strongly refuted the
Shia point of view in his writing entitled Risala Tahliliyya.
o He made a major contribution towards rehabilitation of orthodox Islam in
India.
o He wrote many books, including his famous works, Isbat-ul-Nabat and Risal-i-
Nabuwat.
o In these works the need and importance of prophethood was described.
o His greatest work on Islamic philosophy was the Tauheed-i-Shuhudi.
o Sheikh Ahmed continued preaching Islam till the end of his days. He urged
people to adhere to the accepted and clearly laid down path of Islam.
o Of his several written works, another most famous is Maktūbāt (“Letters”), a
compilation of his letters written in Persian to his friends in India and the region
north of the Amu Darya (river).
o Through these letters Shaykh Aḥmad’s major contribution to Islamic thought
can be traced.
o In refuting the Naqshbandīyah order’s extreme monistic position of waḥdat
al-wujūd (the concept of divine existential unity of God and the world, and
hence man), he instead advanced the notion of waḥdat ash-shuhūd (the
concept of unity of vision).
 o
According to this doctrine (Wahdat ash-shuhud), any experience of unity
between God and the world he has created is purely subjective and occurs
only in the mind of the believer; it has no objective counterpart in the real
world. The former position, Shaykh Aḥmad felt, led to pantheism, which was
contrary to the tenets of Sunnite Islam.
o Shaykh Aḥmad’s concept of waḥdat ash-shuhūd helped revitalize the
Naqshbandīyah order, which retained its influence among Muslims in India and
Central Asia for several centuries thereafter.
o His teachings were not always popular in official circles. In 1619, by the orders
of the Mughal emperor Jahāngīr, who was offended by his aggressive
opposition to Shīʿite views, Shaykh Aḥmad was temporarily imprisoned in the
fortress at Gwalior.
 Two Nation Theory
o Mujaddid-e-Alf-Sani gave the Muslims the idea that they were a separate
nation from Hindus and nothing was common in them.
o Therefore, the Muslim should keep themselves distinct from Hindus with
reference to food, dress, social custom and way of life.
o With this declaration, he founded the first stone of Two Nation Theory in Indo-
Pak subcontinent which led to the success of Pakistan Movement and
establishment of Pakistan.
o That’s why Hazrat Mujaddid is also referred to as the First Founder of Pakistan.
 Conclusion
o The efforts of Sheikh Ahmed to purify the religious and practical life of the
Muslims left an indelible impact on the history of Muslim India.
o Hazrat Mujaddid-e-Alf Sani was the most powerful religious personality in the
history of sub-continent who opposed Akbar and thereby invited his wrath.
o He was a widely read scholar and a magnetic orator.
o He got an opportunity in a liberal atmosphere in Jahangir’s reign to use his
powerful pen to denounce Akbar’s religious innovations.
o He is considered as a pioneer of Muslim self-assertion by denouncing un-
Islamic practices.

(Another Article)

 Brief Life History

o Birth 26th June 1564, Sirhind in East Punajb.
o Named Ahmed Badr-ul-Din
o S/o Sheikh Abdul Ahad and the lineage went back to Hazrat Umer Farooq.
o Read Quran, Hadith and Fiqh from father and Maulana Kamal and Maulana
Yaqub Kashmiri
o Journey to Agra and met with Fazl and Faizi
o Journey to Delhi and met with Hazrat Khawaja Baqi Billah Bairang
o Died in 10th December 1624 in Sirhin
 Quotation
 o Hazrat Khwaja Baqi Billah predicted
“Sheikh Ahmad is such a light which will illuminate the whole world”
 Service to Islam
o Origin of Concept of Wahdatul Shahood against Mohayyudin Ibn-e-Arabi’s
concept of Wahdatul Wajood.
o Efforts against Bhakti Movement and Deen-e-Ilahi
o The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual
practice is loving devotion among the Vaishnava saints.
o Bhakti Movement
 The history of the movement goes back to the time of great reformer
Shankracharya who gave Hinduism a solid philosophical background.
But the movement became popular in the middle ages. Chaitanya led
the movement in the east( modern Uttar Pradesh), Tuka Ram, Nam Dev
and Tirlochan in the Central India, Sadna, Pipa, Mirabai, Tulsi Das and
above all Kabir were its leaders in the north. Kabir’s teachings had great
influence in the Punjab, but actually the movement in the Punjab was
led by Guru Nanak and his nine successors. The message of love and
devotion to god was spread among the people of the Punjab for ten
generations. This intense and organized propaganda of the Bhakti cult
by the Sikh Gurus led to the foundation of a community of Bhaktas
known as the Sikhs.
 Quotation by Sirhindi
“To consider Ram and Rehman as one is stupidity because creator
cannot be one with its creation”
 Effect of Teachings
o Differentiation of Kurf and Islam.
o Dominance of Islam
o Opposing United Nationhood
o Advise on Shariat
o Shariat’s superirority to Myticism

Quotations

o “Kashf and revelation get value through the book of Allah and Sunnah and not through
wajd”
o
“If Muslims want to live as a nation than they have to quit the talk of shirk and Bidat and
stay separate from Hindus. If the awareness of separate national identity is not
awakened in Muslims than it is feared that they would be swept away with the flood of
combined nationhood. Islam would become observed in the soil of and would be
destroyed like Buddhism and other religion which have been observed in Hinduism.”

(Another Source (Dawn) That Shows Positive aspect of Mughul actions and Negative aspect of Sheikh
Ahmad Sirhindi)
 Akbar (1556-1605) laid down the foundations of an empire after conquering and
occupying territories of local Indian rulers. He introduced many reforms which
consolidated the Mughal rule. His rule was based on three elements. First, he inducted
Hindus in the state structure and integrated them socially and culturally on equal basis.
Secondly, he welcomed the Iranians to his court who were excellent administrators and
literary people. Thirdly, he indianised the Mughal culture by adopting Indian customs,
traditional festivals and celebrations.
 These efforts brought Muslims and Hindus together. His attempt to establish a house of
worship and allow followers of different faiths to come and discuss religious issues there
not only helped to spread knowledge of various religions but also created religious
tolerance.
 Akbar’s religious policy was supported by the majority who felt comfortable and secure
under its umbrella. However, there were some elements, though not very powerful and
influential, who opposed it. Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi was one who was concerned by the
process of integration between Hindus and Muslims and by the adoption of Hindu
cultural practices; this line of action was, in his view, a threat to Muslim identity and he
criticised the culture policy of the Mughal rule.
 For example, earlier on, Babur (1500-1530), in his testament, advised Humayun to not
slaughter cows as it would be against the Hindu religion. Ahmad Sirhindi, (d. 1624) on
the other hand, pleaded that sacrificing cows was an important element of Shariah.
Akbar abolished the jizya or tax on Hindus in order to bring them to the fold as Mughal
subjects on an equal footing with Muslims. Sirhindi, opposing this move, proposed that
Hindus pay jizya because it was a sign of their humiliation and subordination.
 Mughal emperors invited Iranians who were Shia, and never interfered in their beliefs.
Ahmad Sirhindi fiercely opposed Shias and their influence. Mughals promoted the
integration of Hindus and Muslims while Sirhindi condemned this trend and in one of his
letters protested that Rahim and Ram were not one and the same. He tried to convince
the Mughal nobility to promote Islamic teachings at the royal court but he was not
successful in his endeavours.
 Akbar’s personality was so strong that Sirhindi remained in oblivion. During the time of
Jahangir, he was summoned to the court because one of his letters infuriated the
orthodox ulema and Muslims in general. In this letter he recounted a dream in which he
appeared in the presence of Almighty God; he claimed that he went so close to God that
the great friends of the Holy Prophet remained behind. Jahangir sentenced him to
prison and he was incarcerated at Gwalior Fort as punishment.
 The interpretation of history changed during the communal politics of the 1920s. Akbar
and Ahmad Sirhindi emerged as two important figures who had opposed each other.
Akbar was condemned as secular and irreligious because he had patronised all faiths
and consequently weakened the Muslim community of India. As he encouraged the
policy of integration, he was said to have polluted the purity of Islam.
 On these bases some Muslim historians blamed him for the decline of Muslim power in
India. This scenario was based on Ahmad Sirhindi, who was resurrected from historical
oblivion and presented as the champion of Islam who saved the faith in India. His
orthodox views, his zeal to revive the purity of religion and his uncompromising attitude
 towards Hindus and Shias were appreciated by some Muslim groups. In Pakistan history
textbooks he is a hero and by default Akbar a villain of sorts.
 During the later Mughal period Shah Waliullah (d.1762) emerged as an important force
who made efforts to unite the Muslim community by acting to eliminate differences of
jurisprudence and sectarian disputes between Shias and Sunnis. He also made attempts
to convince Muslims to abandon Hindu practices and customs. Seeing that Mughal
emperors of his time were too weak to arrest the growing power of the Marhattas, he
invited Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade India.
 Like Ahmad Sirhindi, he was also not well known in his own time. His influence was
confined to his students and to a section of the nobles. He was also brought to light
during the communal politics and presented as a reformer and revolutionary to inspire
the Muslim community to fight for their identity and survival. Ubaidullah Sindhi’s book
Shah Walliuallh ki siyasi tehreek or the ‘Political movement of Shah Walliullah’, presents
him as an important leader whose teachings could be implemented in modern time to
reform Muslim society.
 We have inherited two trends. One is the Mughul heritage which is liberal, secular,
enlightened, religiously tolerant, multicultural and multi-ethnic. The other is from the
religious movement which is culturally, socially and religiously rigid and thus intolerant.
Now it is up to us to choose which one we want to adhere to, because Pakistan, despite
the state’s advocacy of an official ideology, remains a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and
multi-cultural society.

(Another article, also negative mostly)

 Today radical Islamists and clerics of South Asia especially in Pakistan refer to Shaikh
Ahmad Sirhindi’s religious thoughts in an attempt to justify their intolerant ideology.
 Even in this day and age, Shaikh Sirhindi’s opposition to Akbar's policies which he
declared inconsistent with Islam is used as a stimulus for radical and extremist
movements of the sub-continent.
 Therefore, it would be quite interesting to objectively discuss the religious thoughts and
reformation works of Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi who is viewed as an ‘Islamic reformist’ as
well as a ‘Sufi’ among Muslims in Indo-Pak.

 Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (1564-1624) was a contemporary of the two emperors Akbar and
Jahangir. In that period, he carried out notable reformation works as an Islamic
revivalist or what is called “Mujaddid” in Islamic terminology. That is why he was given
by his disciples the honorific title of the “Mujaddid-e- Alf-e-Sani” (revivalist of the
second millennium). Since he was the son of a Sufi priest, he followed the spiritual
tradition of his father and later joined the Naqshbandi Sufi order. However, Islamic
scholars split his life into two periods, Sufi and non-Sufi. While known as the leading
figure of the Naqshbandi Sufi order to some, Shaikh Sirhindi emerged as an orthodox
Sufi Islamic scholar in India in later history, in the 16th century.

 As Islamic reformist, Shaikh Sirhindi’s ideas left an unrelenting and perpetual impact on
religious and political mindset of Indian Muslims that continued from the Mughal period
 to the subsequent 19th and 20th centuries until today. However, his Sufism has been
controversial among Sufi practitioners and scholars due to the hardcore elements in
his views, which stand antithetical to the pluralistic and harmonious legacy of the
mainstream Islamic mystics and particularly early Indian Sufis.

 He came to be known as a reformist Sufi master for those who put together mysticism
and orthodoxy keeping a balance between them. The most salient aspect of Shaikh
Sirhindi’s Sufism was his struggle of developing and reviving a mystical orthodoxy in
place of prevailing Sufism. Therefore, he denounced particular Sufi doctrines and
tendencies that he thought to be inconsistent with the Islamic Shariah. While he
authored a collection of letters known as Maktubat-e Imam-e Rabbani dealing with
Sufis’ spiritual doctrines and matters, he expressed his strong disagreement with many
well-established spiritual Sufi doctrines, most notably the famous Sufi Ibn al-Arabi’s
philosophy of wahdat-al-wujud (Unity of Existence). Shaikh Sirhindi declared it deeply
flawed and equated it to “Hindu monism”. He vehemently criticised spiritual
orientations of Ibn Arabi. However, he never declared Ibn Arabi or his adherents
outside the pale of Islam. In fact, he took it merely as a matter of theological
disagreement, rather than an issue of faith or heresy, and therefore he still flaunted
great respect to Ibn Arabi. He himself elaborates in this regard:

 “I wonder that Shaik Muhiyuddin appears in vision to be one of those with whom God is
pleased, while most of his ideas which differ from the doctrines of the People of truth
appear to be wrong and mistaken. It seems that since they are due to error in kashf, he
has been forgiven... I consider him as one of those with whom God is well-pleased; on
the other hand, I believe that all his ideas in which he opposes (the people of truth) are
wrong and harmful.” (Sufism and Shari'ah: A study of Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi's effort to
reform Sufism, Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari, The Islamic Foundation, 1997, p.247)

 Shaikh Sirhindi is believed to have refined and purified the Islamic mysticism or
Tasawwuf in India. He opined that the Shari`ah is of fundamental importance to the
Sufi path. Therefore, he sought to eliminate many prevalent practices of Sufism that he
considered erroneous and deviant from the right path. He extensively expounded his
ideas and reflections in this regard in his books. Dr. Razi Ahmad Kamal, Professor of
Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia quotes Shaikh Sirhindi in his book in Urdu titled
“Hindustani Ahd-e-Wusta Men Muslim Saqafati Asarat” (Influences of Muslim Culture
on Indian Medieval Period):

 Shaik Sirhindi completely endorsed and favoured the institution of the Shari`ah as
fundamental to the Tariqah (Sufi path). He strongly made this point in his letters titled
Maktubat-e-Imam Rabbani. Expanding his notion of the inseparable association
between the Shari`ah and the Tariqah, he writes:
 Contrary to the popular Sufi tradition of Sulh-e-Kul (peace with all), Shaikh Sirhindi has
also been known for his hardcore views against certain non-Muslims of his time as well
as Muslim sects that he considered misguided. Before Shaikh Sirhindi, there was no
Sufi in India who adopted stern attitude towards any other faith community. But his
approach to deal with people of other faith traditions, particularly Hindus of his region,
was diametrically different. It seems, as his letters and treatises show, that his views
were vehemently opposed to non-Muslims living in his locality. The reason behind it, as
the historians point out, was that Muslims’ religious sentiments were offended by
Hindus and particularly Brahmans of his time. A group of them are reported to have
built a Hindu temple in place of a mosque. And when they were challenged by Muslims,
they went to the extent of abusing Islam and reviling the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Historians maintain that this turbulent situation created intolerant impressions in Shaikh
Sirhindi’s mind about his non-Muslim countrymen. However, this has not been, and
cannot be the approach of a Sufi.

 Commenting on, and giving the context to Shaikh Sirhindi’s attitude towards adherents
of other faith traditions that is not in synergy with the mainstream Sufis’ legacy,
Mohammad Waqas Sajjad writes in his book “Sobering Sufism in South Asia”:

“For modern-day Sufi claimants of Sirhindi, however, his figure as the ‘good’ Sufi
becomes complicated when one considers his attitude towards the Shia and Hindus,
which is best understood within the political nature of his mission, even if it is not
accepted as normative. This, though is where the problem lies – those who claim
Sirhindi as their master, have been unable to acknowledge that in even his own
situation, his views may have been flawed, and that it is not unfair to critique them. The
context for his attitudes to non-Sunnis and non-Muslims is provided by the religious
culture of the subcontinent, replete with “florid forms of Sufism” and the policies of
rulers that synthesized Islamic and Hindu practices”.

 From all this, it is not difficult to infer that Shaikh Sirhindi was an Islamic reformist and
an orthodox legalistic Sufi at the same time. Therefore, Sirhindi movement of Islamic
reformation and renewal was also an endeavour to foster an orthodox spiritual revival.
To accomplish this purpose, Shaikh Sirhindi exerted all his efforts to restore traditional
Islamic Sharia as well as a mystical path based on Islamic orthodoxy. He strongly
believed that Islamic law (shariah) and Sufi path (tariqah) were essentially inseparable
and that there can be no discrepancy or inconsistency between them.
Q.3 China, Pakistan-Russia cooperation will find suitable support mechanism in Shanghai Cooperation
organization (SCO). Elaborate.

o Shanghai Cooperation organization (SCO)

o The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental
international organisation, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in
Shanghai (China) by
 The Republic of Kazakhstan
 The People's Republic of China
 The Kyrgyz Republic
 The Russian Federation
 The Republic of Tajikistan
 The Republic of Uzbekistan.

o It was preceded by the Shanghai Five Group.

o The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter was signed during the St.Petersburg
SCO Heads of State meeting in June 2002, and entered into force on 19 September
2003.
 This is the fundamental statutory document which outlines the organisation's
goals and principles, as well as its structure and core activities.

o Headquarters of SCO: Beijing, China.

o The SCO is widely regarded as the "alliance of the East", due to its growing centrality in
Asia-Pacific, and has been the primary security pillar of the region.
o In 2017, SCO's eight full members account for approximately half of the world's
population, a quarter of the world's GDP, and about 80% of Eurasia's landmass.
o The historical meeting of the Heads of State Council of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation was held on 8-9 June 2017 in Nur-Sultan (formerly known as Astana),
Kazakhstan.
 On the meeting the status of a full member of the Organization was granted to
the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

o In June 2017, Pakistan gained the permanent membership of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) in its 16th Heads of State Summit in Nur-Sultan (formerly known as
Astana), Kazakhstan.
o As its permanent member, Pakistan hopes to attain immense support to address its
economic, security and social issues.
o By sharing a membership with two major regional powers, Russia and China, in SCO,
Pakistan sees itself an elevated contributor to the regional development.
o Full membership of the SCO has the potential to improve the image of Pakistan in the
international arena.
o The SCO's main goals are as follows:
 Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states;
  Promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research,
technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism,
environmental protection, and other areas;
 Making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the
region;
 Moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new
international political and economic order.

o Proceeding from the Shanghai Spirit, the SCO pursues its internal policy based on the
principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for
cultural diversity, and a desire for common development.
o Its external policy is conducted in accordance with the principles of non-alignment,
non-targeting any third country, and openness.

o The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO.

o It meets once a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of
the organisation.

o The SCO Heads of Government Council (HGC) meets once a year to discuss

 The organisation's multilateral cooperation strategy and priority areas

 To resolve current important economic and other cooperation issues
 To approve the organisation's annual budget.

o The SCO's official languages are Russian and Chinese.

o In addition to HSC and HGC meetings, there is also a mechanism of meetings at the
level of

 Heads of parliament;
 Secretaries of Security Councils;
 Ministers of foreign affairs, defence, emergency relief, economy, transport,
culture, education, and healthcare;
 Heads of law enforcement agencies and supreme and arbitration courts;
 Prosecutors general.

o The Council of National Coordinators of SCO Member States (CNC) acts as the SCO
coordination mechanism.
o The organisation has two permanent bodies
 The SCO Secretariat based in Beijing
 The Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based
in Tashkent.
 o The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan,
is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member
states against the three evils:
 Terrorism
 Separatism
 Extremism

o The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO
RATS are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years.
o Rashid Alimov (Tajikistan) (Sec-Gen) and Yevgeny Sysoyev (Russia) (Director-RATS)
have held these positions, respectively, since 1 January 2016.
o Each member state also sends a permanent representative to RATS.

o Thus, currently:

o The SCO comprises eight member states:

 The Republic of India

 The Republic of Kazakhstan
 The People's Republic of China
 The Kyrgyz Republic
 The Islamic Republic of Pakistan
 The Russian Federation
 The Republic of Tajikistan
 The Republic of Uzbekistan

o The SCO counts four observer states

 The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,
 The Republic of Belarus,
 The Islamic Republic of Iran
 The Republic of Mongolia;

o The SCO has six dialogue partners

 The Republic of Azerbaijan
 The Republic of Armenia
 The Kingdom of Cambodia
 The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
 The Republic of Turkey
 The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
o SCO Youth Council
o The Youth Council of SCO was set up after a proposal was made by Russian President
Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit in June 2006.
o The concept of the Council was represented at a meeting of the SCO heads of state in
Beijing in May 2007.
 o In the SCO meeting held in October 2008 in St Petersburg the Youth Council’s statutes
and the basic principles of operation were agreed upon.
o The founding conference of the SCO Youth Council was held in in Yekaterinburg where
the founding documents of the SCO Youth Council, Declaration on the Establishment
and Regulation of the Youth Council Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
o China is the current president of the SCO Youth Council.
o In July 2020, Special Assistant on Youth Affairs Usman Dar revealed that Pakistan has
become a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Youth
Council.
 Pakistani youth will now be able to represent their country at the SCO Youth
Council meetings and its exchange programs and will also take part in the skill
development programs of the SCO Youth Council.
 Experts in the country believe that the membership will give Pakistani youth
access to the international opportunities and empower them socially and
economically.
 The council will also assist young members to find employment and business
opportunities in various sectors across the world.
 Organisational Structure of SCO

o The current Council of Heads of State consists of:

 Arif Alvi (Pakistan)
 Sooronbai Jeenbekov (Kyrgyzstan)
 Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan)
 Xi Jinping (China)
 Ram Nath Kovind (India)
 Shavkat Mirziyoyev (Uzbekistan)
 Vladimir Putin (Russia)
 Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Kazakhstan)
o The current Council of Heads of Government consists of:
 Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev (Kyrgyzstan)
 Kokhir Rasulzoda (Tajikistan)
 Abdulla Aripov (Uzbekistan)
  Imran Khan (Pakistan)
 Li Keqiang (China)
 Askar Mamin (Kazakhstan)
 Dmitry Medvedev (Russia)
 Narendra Modi (India)
 Cooperation on security
o The SCO is primarily centered on its member nations' security-related concerns, often
describing the main threats it confronts as being terrorism, separatism and extremism.
o At SCO summit, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 16–17 June 2004, the Regional Anti-
Terrorist Structure (RATS) was established.
o On 21 April 2006, the SCO announced plans to fight cross-border drug crimes under
the counter-terrorism rubric.
o In October 2007, the SCO signed an agreement with the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO), in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, to broaden cooperation on issues
such as security, crime, and drug trafficking.
o The organisation is also redefining cyberwarfare, saying that the dissemination of
information "harmful to the spiritual, moral and cultural spheres of other states"
should be considered a "security threat". The Diplomat reported in 2017 that SCO has
foiled 600 terror plots and extradited 500 terrorists through RATS.
 Military activities
o Over the past few years, the organisation's activities have expanded to include
increased military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and counterterrorism.[52]
o
o Military exercises are regularly conducted among members to promote cooperation and
coordination against terrorism and other external threats, and to maintain regional
peace and stability.[53][54] There have been a number of SCO joint military exercises.
The first of these was held in 2003, with the first phase taking place in Kazakhstan and
the second in China. Since then China and Russia have teamed up for large-scale war
games in 2005 (Peace Mission 2005), 2007 and 2009, under the auspices of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation. More than 4,000 soldiers participated at the joint military
exercises in 2007 (known as "Peace Mission 2007") which took place in Chelyabinsk
Russia near the Ural Mountains, as was agreed upon in April 2006 at a meeting of SCO
Defence Ministers.[55][56] Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said that the
exercises would be transparent and open to media and the public. Following the war
games' successful completion, Russian officials began speaking of India joining such
exercises in the future and the SCO taking on a military role. Peace Mission 2010,
conducted 9–25 September at Kazakhstan's Matybulak training area, saw over 5,000
personnel from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan conduct joint
planning and operational maneuvers.[57]
o
o The SCO has served as a platform for larger military announcements by members.
During the 2007 war games in Russia, with leaders of SCO member states in attendance
including Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russia's President Vladimir Putin used the
occasion to take advantage of a captive audience. Russian strategic bombers, he said,
 would resume regular long-range patrols for the first time since the Cold War. "Starting
today, such tours of duty will be conducted regularly and on the strategic scale", Putin
said. "Our pilots have been grounded for too long. They are happy to start a new life".
o
o On 4 June 2014, in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, the idea was brought up to merge the
SCO with the Collective Security Treaty Organization. It is still being debated.
 Economic cooperation
o Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are also members of the Eurasian Economic Union
(EAEU).
o A Framework Agreement to enhance economic cooperation was signed by the SCO
member states on 23 September 2003. At the same meeting the Premier of China,
Wen Jiabao, proposed a long-term objective to establish a free trade area in the SCO,
while other more immediate measures would be taken to improve the flow of goods in
the region. A follow up plan with 100 specific actions was signed one year later, on 23
September 2004.

o On 26 October 2005, during the Moscow Summit of the SCO, the Secretary General of
the Organisation said that the SCO will prioritise joint energy projects; including in the
oil and gas sector, the exploration of new hydrocarbon reserves, and joint use of water
resources.
o The creation of the SCO Interbank Consortium was also agreed upon at that summit in
order to fund future joint projects. The first meeting of the SCO Interbank Association
was held in Beijing on 21–22 February 2006.
o On 30 November 2006, at The SCO: Results and Perspectives, an international
conference held in Almaty, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry
announced that Russia is developing plans for an SCO "Energy Club". The need for this
"club" was reiterated by Moscow at an SCO summit in November 2007.
o Other SCO members, however, have not committed themselves to the idea.
o However, during the 2008 summit it was stated that "Against the backdrop of a
slowdown in the growth of world economy pursuing a responsible currency and
financial policy, control over the capital flowing, ensuring food and energy security
have been gaining special significance".

o At the 2007 SCO summit Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoodi addressed an initiative
that had been garnering greater interest and assuming a heightened sense of urgency
when he said, "The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a good venue for designing a
new banking system which is independent from international banking systems".

o The address by President Putin also included these comments:

 We now clearly see the defectiveness of the monopoly in world finance and
the policy of economic selfishness. To solve the current problem Russia will
take part in changing the global financial structure so that it will be able to
guarantee stability and prosperity in the world and to ensure progress.
  The world is seeing the emergence of a qualitatively different geo-political
situation, with the emergence of new centers of economic growth and
political influence.
 We will witness and take part in the transformation of the global and regional
security and development architectures adapted to new realities of the 21st
century, when stability and prosperity are becoming inseparable notions.

o On 16 June 2009, at the Yekaterinburg Summit, China announced plans to provide a

US$10 billion loan to SCO member states to shore up the struggling economies of its
members amid the global financial crisis. The summit was held together with the first
BRIC summit, and the China–Russia joint statement said that they want a bigger quota
in the International Monetary Fund.

o At the occasion of Bishkek summit June 2019, Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan
also gave a statement to build a market of local currency instead of US Dollars among
the members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
 Cultural cooperation
o Cultural cooperation also occurs in the SCO framework. Culture ministers of the SCO
met for the first time in Beijing on 12 April 2002, signing a joint statement for
continued cooperation.

o An SCO Arts Festival and Exhibition was held for the first time during the Astana (now
Nur-Sultan) Summit in 2005.
 Summits
o According to the Charter of the SCO, summits of the Council of Heads of State shall be
held annually at alternating venues. The locations of these summits follow the
alphabetical order of the member state's name in Russian.
o The charter also dictates that the Council of Heads of Government (that is, the Prime
Ministers) shall meet annually in a place decided upon by the council members.
o The Council of Foreign Ministers is supposed to hold a summit one month before the
annual summit of Heads of State.
o Extraordinary meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers can be called by any two
member states.
 Geopolitical aspects

o Iranian writer Hamid Golpira had this to say on the topic: "According to Zbigniew
Brzezinski's theory, control of the Eurasian landmass is the key to global domination
and control of Central Asia is the key to control of the Eurasian landmass.
o Russia and China have been paying attention to Brzezinski's theory, since they formed
the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2001, ostensibly to curb extremism in the
region and enhance border security, but most probably with the real objective of
counterbalancing the activities of the United States and NATO in Central Asia".
 o In November 2005 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that the
"Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is working to establish a rational and just
world order"

 Pakistan in the SCO: Challenges and Prospects

o BACKGROUND
o As Pakistan became an SCO member on June 9, 2017, Islamabad described this as an
opportunity to improve its relations with the regional countries by facilitating trade
through the Gwadar port, contributing to a regional solution to the Afghanistan issue,
addressing its worsening energy crisis, as well as learning from and contributing to the
SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).

o The SCO has emerged as a major player in regional and global affairs. A number of
Western, and especially U.S. scholars, view the SCO as a challenge to U.S. interests.
Some have described it as the beginning of a new organization resembling the Warsaw
Pact (or a “NATO of the East”).
o The SCO emerged out of the Shanghai Five, created in 1996 with China, Russia,
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan as founding members. In 2001, the Shanghai Five
was expanded and renamed SCO with the inclusion of Uzbekistan.
o In 2005, Pakistan, India, Iran and Mongolia joined as observers.

o In the past, both China and Russia have repeatedly stated that the organization would
not incorporate new members despite Pakistan and India’s active campaign for SCO
membership. However, this attitude changed in recent years; while Moscow supported
New Delhi’s bid for membership, Beijing, arguably the main player in the SCO,
supported Islamabad’s bid.

o At the 2015 summit at Ufa, Russia, the SCO reached and announced its decision to
include Pakistan and India as members. In 2016, India and Pakistan signed a
memorandum of obligation.

o On July 2017, During the 17th SCO summit in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana (now called
Nur-Sultan), President Nursultan Nazarbayev formally welcomed Pakistan and India as
SCO members.

o This development in the SCO’s history raises several important questions, including how
it will affect the SCO’s ability to function as a regional alliance; to what extent the
inclusion of new members indicates a power struggle between Moscow and Beijing;
how deep rooted this struggle is and how it will affect the SCO. Yet from Islamabad’s
perspective, the main question is what it can offer the SCO and what it can gain from
its membership in the organization.
o IMPLICATIONS

o Islamabad faces a number of challenges at the regional and international levels and its
SCO membership can be of help in addressing these challenges. Recently, Islamabad’s
relations with Moscow have improved.
o After the meeting between PM Abbasi and Russian PM Medvedev on the sidelines of
the SCO meeting, both expressed satisfaction with the evolution of bilateral relations
including in defense cooperation.
o Other cases in point include Russia’s recent support for Islamabad’s positions on
membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and terrorist sanctuaries on the Afghan
side of the Durand line. Islamabad’s SCO membership will provide an opportunity to
expand this bilateral relationship through the SCO platform, especially in the defense
sector.

o Islamabad, Moscow, Tehran and Beijing are all seriously concerned over the
emergence of the terrorist organization known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) and the future of Afghanistan.
o Both these issues impede positive development across the region. Since all SCO
member states have interests in Afghanistan and support different groups in the
country, it is imperative that using the SCO platform, these states develop a joint
strategy to address the Afghanistan problem and ISIS threat.

o Pakistan provides natural link and route for other SCO members to access the Indian
Ocean.
o As Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif aptly pointed out: “Pakistan
provides the natural link between the SCO states to connect the Eurasian heartland
with the Arabian Sea and South Asia … We offer the critical overland routes and
connectivity for mutually beneficial trade and energy transactions intra-regionally and
inter-regionally.”
o While this prospect provides immense opportunities for all SCO members, it also
indicates a challenge for Islamabad.
o Despite immense potential, Islamabad’s trade and economic relations with most SCO
members, aside from China, are minimal. The SCO membership will provide Islamabad
with an opportunity to initiate and revive a number of projects using the SCO
platform.

o Gwadar port stands to become an important and effective trade outlet for the Central
Asian States. Under the SCO banner Islamabad can provide SCO member states with
preferential access to Gwadar.

o Pakistan’s mounting energy crisis needs immediate attention. Islamabad has so far
failed to tackle it, but is developing an energy policy to address the problem. SCO
membership provides Islamabad with an avenue to explore opportunities for
 importing oil and gas from the Central Asian states, primarily Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
and Kazakhstan.

o An important question is whether Indo-Pak rivalry will find another venue in the SCO.
Will New Delhi and Islamabad be able to act maturely and adopt the SCO’s spirit of
regionalism?
o At the SCO summit in June 2017, Pakistan’s former PM Sharif agreed with and
welcomed a proposal made by Chinese President Xi Jinping on a five-year treaty for
good neighborliness among SCO members.
o Conversely, India’s PM Narendra Modi used this forum to continue his policy of
isolating Pakistan in his first speech as an SCO member.
o It has been pointed out that importing this conflict into the SCO risks impeding the
functioning of the organisation, as has been the case with the South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

o Yet contrary to general perception, India may not be able to use the SCO platform
effectively against Pakistan. China is the SCO’s key member, and India-China relations
are defined by strategic competition and security concerns.
o After the Doklam crisis (2017 China-India border standoff), another military
confrontation between the two cannot be entirely ruled out (update 2020: Galwan
valley clash).
o It is well-documented that China was reluctant to grant India SCO membership. On its
part, India is extremely critical of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well
as China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
o While India can use the SCO to voice its concerns over Islamabad’s alleged support for
terrorism in India, China has so far supported Pakistan on this issue, including through
its recent veto to a UN resolution designating Masood Azhar of Jaish-e-Muhammad a
wanted terrorist.
o It is unlikely that China would act otherwise in the SCO. India also needs to exercise
caution in using the SCO to highlight the Kashmir problem, as China can raise the Tibet
issue and India’s sheltering of the Dalai Lama in response.

o For these reasons, India’s SCO membership will not increase its ability to put pressure
on Pakistan. Moreover, if Pakistan’s relations with Russia improve further and China,
Russia and Pakistan can reach an understanding on Afghanistan and the U.S. presence
there, India would have to tread even more carefully as it would then have to decide
which side to join and would risk losing its primary supporter (Russia) in the SCO.

o CONCLUSIONS: The SCO is an important regional alliance. The inclusion of Islamabad

provides the SCO with a link and route to South Asia and to the Indian Ocean.
o China, along with its SCO partners, is developing and implementing the Silk World
order. The One Belt One Road Initiative (Now just BRI), of which CPEC is an integral part,
is a manifestation of this order.
 o As a pivotal South Asian state, Pakistan can contribute positively to the SCO as well as
learn from it. Yet before such a contribution is possible, Islamabad needs to reach out
to the other SCO member states, with which it shares historical and cultural ties, to
improve relations and then develop a regional understanding on issues vital for all
SCO members including on Afghanistan, Islamic radicalization and drugs.
 Vladimir Norov, Secretary-General, SCO in an interview with Center for Global & Strategic
Studies (CGSS), Islamabad
o On 21st July 2020, His Excellency Vladimir Norov, Secretary-General, Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretariat, Beijing, China gave an exclusive interview
to CGSS, Islamabad,
o He commented that the Pakistani side in the SCO exercises and activities aimed at
maintaining stability in the Organisation’s area of responsibility. It has become global
and diversified, as well as became possible to establish close ties with the relevant UN
structures and with other international organisations, for example, ASEAN and the
OSCE and the Paris Pact Initiative.
o SCO Secretary General highlighted that according to preliminary estimates, the total
GDP of the SCO member countries over the past year amounted to 22.5 % of the global
figure (18.4 trillion us dollars). This figure is expected to reach 35-40% of the world's
runway by 2030. The SCO acts as a reliable platform for fruitful cooperation in the
interests of forming a polycentric world order.
o Highlighting the involvement of Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the One Belt One
Road initiative, the Secretary General of SCO stressed that the SCO countries cannot
stay away from the large-scale economic initiative unfolding in the region. The main
routes of the Silk Road Economic Belt lead from China through Central Asia, Russia
to Europe, as well as from China through Central and West Asia to the Persian Gulf and
the Mediterranean Sea. Ensuring the long-term sustainable development of countries
and regions along the Belt and Road objectively necessitates increased transport and
communication interconnectivity and interconnected infrastructures, which is
particularly important in overcoming the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
o Regarding the global challenge of dealing with COVID-19 and role of international
cooperation including SCO, His Excellency Vladimir Norov stated that, the SCO advocates
effective engagement with WHO, other international organizations and associations in
the fight against coronavirus infection. Meetings of Health Ministers and Heads of
Services responsible for the health and epidemiological well-being of countries will be
held in the near future. The SCO intends to fully implement the existing mechanisms,
actively continue consultations on the topic on the fight against coronavirus, and jointly
take decisive measures to maintain security and stability, as well as restore economic
activity.

o Discussing the problems occurring in the functioning of SCO and how can they be
addressed by SCO member states, the Secretary of SCO highlighted that the main
security challenge for the Organization is the continued fight against international
terrorism and extremism, and the illicit trafficking of drugs and weapons, ensuring
 regional peace, and promoting the work of the UN and other sought-after international
organizations.

 Economic opportunities for Pakistan

o Rapid changes were seen in the global economic, social and diplomatic landscape in the
past decade. The changing power structure was led by the changing economic landscape
and powerhouses.

o China has appeared as a powerful economic player and has taken lead in refining the
global economic and governance system. It is not a surprise as emerging powers always
steer change in the existing system.

o However, the approach taken by China is different from others. It is trying to do so by

building partnerships and by not creating fuss. It is building platforms, which should be
beneficial for all the participants and contributors, and the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) is one such platform.

o SCO was created to resolve issues related to border management and security but later
its scope was widened. At present, SCO is the biggest regional organisation in terms of
its size and population. Its members constitute about 45% of the world population, 23%
of land mass and 25% of gross domestic product (GDP) of the entire world. The total
worth of GDP is $14.5 trillion.

o The focus of this organisation is gradually shifting towards economic linkages and
development of member countries. Chinese prime minister in 2004 urged all SCO
countries to work for free trade among member states.

o At the heads of state meeting in 2018, it was emphasised that the trade procedure
should be simplified for intra-regional trade.

o In 2019, the SCO’s declaration again asked member states to accelerate efforts for wider
economic cooperation and enhancing trade.

o China is championing the cause. It has already been noted that China has increased its
trade with SCO members in the past few years. At present, the total trade of China with
SCO members is worth $337 billion – including countries having the status of observer
and dialogue partner - exhibiting 19% growth.

o China’s major trade partners are Russia and India with trade worth $106.65 billion and
$95.87 billion respectively. India is the biggest export destination with shipments worth
 $77.02 billion and Russia is the biggest exporter to China in the SCO group with exports
of $58.58 billion.

o SCO’s two leading members - China and Russia - have presented their visions of future
economic development and trade through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Eurasia
Economic Union (EEU). These two initiatives present excellent prospects for economic
development in future.

o Forging links with SCO bloc

o Being a member of SCO, Pakistan has an excellent opportunity to revive its economy
with the help of the regional bloc, its platforms and member states.

o However, to capitalise on the opportunity, Pakistan will have to devise a relevant policy.
First, it should learn from the past. Earlier, Pakistan made many mistakes and the
prominent ones included ignoring SCO countries, missing the dynamics of Central Asian
states and too much reliance on western markets.

o Although in recent years Pakistan has increasingly focused on the Chinese market, it
lacks any major policy for developing economic and trade ties with Russia and Central
Asian states.

o Central Asia provides an opportunity for two-way trade. Pakistan has the potential to
export finished products and some agricultural commodities. On the other hand, it can
benefit from energy and mineral resources of Central Asia.

o Russia can help Pakistan develop scientific knowledge and adopt new technologies.
Pakistan can benefit from the Russian market too. Russia is also interested in using
Gwadar Port for trade.

o Unfortunately, current trade statistics are very poor with SCO members, except for
China. Pakistan’s exports to Uzbekistan are worth only $17 million and imports are
valued at $33.31 million. In trade with Kazakhstan, Pakistan’s exports and imports stand
at merely $86 million and $33.11 million respectively.

o Trade with Tajikistan is also not encouraging as Pakistan’s exports stand at only $94.06
million and imports are valued at $33.45 million. Although Kyrgyzstan is a very vibrant
economy of Central Asia, Pakistan’s trade with it is very low. Pakistan’s exports to
Kyrgyzstan are worth $15.11 million and imports stand at $0.121 million.

o In trade with Russia, the statistics show a very discouraging picture. Russia is one of the
leading economies and a developed country. Owing to the troubled history of relations
between the two countries, Pakistan’s trade with Russia is very slim.
 o According to international trade statistics, Pakistan’s total exports to Russia are only
$157 million and imports are worth $375 million. Of late, Pakistan and Russia are trying
to improve their economic relations.

o SCO and China have provided an opportunity to both countries to break the ice and now
they are working on further improvement with high hopes.

o Lastly, economic linkages with India are very weak. Though both countries are
neighbours, bilateral trade is very low compared to the potential. At present, Pakistan’s
total imports from India are worth $1.8 billion and exports are valued at $350 million.

o It means Pakistan has not been able to benefit from the potential of Indian market.
Moreover, there is also a huge volume of illegal trade. However, there is hope that SCO
will help to break the ice and pave the way for better ties between the two neighbours.

o In the case of Central Asia, major reasons for insignificant trade include low priority
attached to the region and self-perceived assumptions. Pakistan has consistently
ignored the region and has not tried to learn the governance system and market
structure of these countries.

o Lessons

o The discussion presents two important lessons for Pakistan. First, Pakistan should
exploit these markets for economic revival. Second, SCO provides an excellent
opportunity to create linkages as the bloc has proposed that all countries should try to
simplify trade procedures and work for a free trade agreement.

o We should learn from China. China has many issues with India but its trade volume is
approaching a staggering $100 billion. China has also developed trade linkages with
Taiwan despite massive differences.

o Lastly, Pakistan must study markets and governance structure of all SCO member
countries. A comprehensive understanding of markets and governance structures will
help Pakistan devise a prudent policy.

 SCO and Coronavirus

o Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi participated in the SCO Council of Foreign
Ministers video-conference convened by the Russian Federation in its capacity as
current chair of SCO.
o Pakistan said the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was well equipped to
counter the coronavirus pandemic.
o In his remarks, the Foreign Minister opined that the Covid-19 pandemic posed a
challenge of unprecedented scale and magnitude to humanity that necessitated
coordinated responses. The crisis was a litmus test for multilateralism.

o He specifically praised China’s responsible handling of the crisis and its leading role in
assisting the international community. He also expressed gratitude for China’s
assistance to Pakistan.

o Besides Pakistan, the meeting was attended by foreign ministers of all member states,
the secretary general SCO, and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional
Anti-terrorist Structure.
o Apart from the prevailing pandemic situation, matters relating to peace and security in
the region including Afghanistan came under discussion.

o The foreign minister briefed the SCO foreign ministers on Pakistan’s coordinated
response to COVID-19 covering the public health as well as the economic aspects of
the crisis.

o He observed that even though infections were spreading, Pakistan had seen relatively
low fatalities. However, he added there was no room to let our guard down.

o Highlighting the socio-economic repercussions of the health crisis, Foreign Minister

Qureshi underscored the salience of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “Global Initiative on
Debt Relief” for developing countries as a means to formulate a comprehensive multi-
stakeholder plan of action to shore up economies and promote sustainable growth.
o The foreign minister made a number of proposals to strengthen coordination among
SCO States against the pandemic, including
 Regular interaction among Ministries of Health;
 Joint research mechanisms;
 Strengthening of SCO Hospital Alliance.

o Commenting on the regional situation, the Foreign Minister welcomed the US-Taliban
peace agreement and hoped that the Afghan leadership would seize the historic
opportunity to work out a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement.

o The Foreign Minister emphasized that tackling terrorism and extremism must continue
to be a priority but terrorism related allegations must not be used as political tool to
malign and victimize any country or religion.

o On 15 July 2020, the SCO Secretariat hosted a ceremony to mark China's donation of
humanitarian aid (Personal Protective Equipment-PPE) to SCO Member States as part
of the efforts to counter the coronavirus.
 o Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary General Vladimir Norov has
expressed his hope that joint efforts would manage to stop the spread of the COVID-
19 in the SCO member states.
o He made these remarks at a ceremony at the SCO Secretariat to mark China’s
donation of humanitarian aid to SCO Member States as part of the efforts to counter
the coronavirus.
 Russia Negotiates Supplies Of COVID-19 Vaccine To SCO Members - Health Minister of Russia
o Talks on supplying the prospective Russian vaccine against COVID-19 to the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries are ongoing, and will continue after the
vaccine is registered, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.
o A vaccine produced by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and
Microbiology is currently in Phase 2 of clinical trials and Russian Direct Investment
Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev has said that plans are underway for the vaccine to enter use
in either August or September. (let’s see where it goes because its July right now)

 "Some negotiations are currently underway within the global cooperation

framework, and they will be continued especially after the vaccine is registered.
Then there will be more active cooperation. Right now, there are also ongoing
parallel preparations to scale up the manufacturing [of the vaccine].
 Pakistan’s relations with other members of SCO
o In June 2017, Pakistan gained the permanent membership of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) in its 16th Heads of State Summit in Astana (now called Nur-
Sultan), Kazakhstan. As its permanent member, Pakistan hopes to attain immense
support to address its economic, security and social issues. By sharing a membership
with two major regional powers, Russia and China, in SCO, Pakistan sees itself an
elevated contributor to the regional development. Moreover, full membership of the
SCO has the potential to improve the image of Pakistan in the international arena.
Let’s look into the potential benefits of SCO membership for Pakistan.
o Introduction
o The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has given a new impetus to regionalism
during the last 19 years.
o It was established following negotiations between China and the Central Asian
Republics (CARs).
o Russia and China were recovering from the democratic decline of the 1960s and
heading towards cautious normalisation in the 1980s.
o On the other hand, the CARs were facing challenges of state building including border
security problems.
o One of the major challenges for the CARs, China and Russia was then to reach an
agreement over disputed and undecided borders.
o Jurisdiction over Tarabarov and Bolshoi Ussuriysky was the main issue in 1991, which
was later resolved as Tarabarov was assigned to China while Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island
was divided between China and Russia.
o As this agreement resolved the main border dispute between China and Russia, China
established diplomatic relationships with all the CARs in 1992.
o The states’ concerns over security and military challenges, especially arms control in
border areas in the late 1990s, ultimately laid the foundation of “Shanghai Process.”
o In Shanghai, China, the Shanghai Five grouping was created 26 April 1996 with the
signing of the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions by the heads of
states of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

o On 24 April 1997, the same countries signed the Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces
in Border Regions in a meeting in Moscow, Russia.

o On 20 May 1997, President of Russia Boris Yeltsin and President of China Jiang Zemin
signed a declaration on a "multipolar world".

o In the summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in 2000, members agreed to "oppose

intervention in other countries' internal affairs on the pretexts of 'humanitarianism'
and 'protecting human rights;' and support the efforts of one another in safeguarding
the five countries' national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and social
stability."
 o In 2001, the annual summit returned to Shanghai. There the five member nations first
admitted Uzbekistan in the Shanghai Five mechanism (thus transforming it into the
Shanghai Six).
o Then all six heads of state signed on 15 June 2001 the Declaration of Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation, praising the role played thus far by the Shanghai Five
mechanism and aiming to transform it to a higher level of cooperation.
o Resulted in the formation of the SCO in 2001.
o Immediate purpose of which was to fight three demons of religious extremism,
international terrorism and ethnic separatism.
o The long-term objectives of the SCO were to promote economic development and
regional stability of the member states through shared identity and cooperation on the
issues of mutual concerns.
o Through SCO, China has tried to promote organisational growth and used its
institutionalisation to assist regional economic bonding, to gain access to energy
supplies and to follow the modern concepts of security based on dialogue and mutual
consultation.
o It also stressed collective benefits and amicable resolution of differences.
o Furthermore, the SCO is a platform for China to enhance its leadership role in the
global economy and geopolitics.
o Through the SCO, China has also managed to improve bilateral relations with the CARs
and Russia to exercise its power in the region.
o Pakistan’s inclusion in the SCO as a permanent member was backed by China while
India’s bid was backed by Russia.
o The decision to give permanent membership to Pakistan and India facilitated regional
integration and added to the organisational decisive role and its efficiency in the
Central and South Asian regions.
o As full members, now both countries have an opportunity to enhance their political
and economic cooperation and strengthen common policies with other member
states.
o With the expansion, the SCO now represents over 40 per cent of the world’s
population and about 20 per cent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
o Prior to this expansion, the SCO member states had occupied a total area about
130,189,000 square km with a population of 1.455 billion people.
o At present, SCO is the biggest regional organisation in terms of its size and population.
Its members constitute about 45% of the world population, 23% of land mass and 25%
of gross domestic product (GDP) of the entire world. The total worth of GDP is $14.5
trillion which was almost a quarter of the global population.
 Theory of regionalism
o The theory of regionalism considers a geographical region as the main entity of analysis
and focus.
o It gives same or greater value and importance to a region as to the entity of a ‘state.’
o It describes the trend of economic and political integration among different states
within a particular region.
 o Several experts argue that economic cooperation precedes the trend of political
cooperation.
1. e.g., Joseph S Nye states that if a region becomes economically integrated first,
only then it will be essentially politically integrated as well.5
o The theory of regionalism also states that different countries within a region, although act
and behave as a unit (with the element of interdependence at its core) within the realm of
international relations, the sovereignty, uniqueness and independence of each state is
intact and respected as well.
o The EU is one of the best examples of the manifestation of regionalism in contemporary
times.
o Regionalism has become an appropriate approach for gaining advantages of regional
resources and resolving conflicts between regional countries.
o Pakistan can take advantages of this theory by framing contemporary issues within the
limits of the region.
 Regional connectivity amongst members
o Central Asia is rich in raw material which can be exported to other countries, hence it
presents itself as a promising region not only for trade and industrial goods but also
for regular energy supply to other countries.
o For instance, Turkmenistan is home to the world’s fifth largest reserves of natural gas
worth of 7.94 trillion cubic metres.
o Hence, the energy-rich Central Asia is thus, seen as a prospective future home of
energy for Pakistan.
o The geographical location of Pakistan serves as a natural conduit for energy corridors
between the South and Central Asian regions. However, every route from Central Asia
has to pass the disturbed land of Afghanistan, which has multiple security concerns.
o That is why in her first administration, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir
Bhutto, showed an interest to work on the old Silk Route for an energy pipeline from
Central Asia to Pakistan and also securing access to the landlocked countries of Central
Asia.
o In 2005, Gwadar port was completed with the investment of China and was officially
inaugurated in 2007.
o In return, China gained access to the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea for the
installation of power projects.
o Gwadar port can play a very important role in the socio-economic development of
Pakistan, especially in the context of Balochistan.
o According to the 2009 agreement between China, Russia and Afghanistan, the three
countries will construct a 1,306 km highway which will link Pakistan with Tajikistan
and Afghanistan through Chitral and Iskatul, Ulkhana, Ishkashim, Khorugh,
Kulaikhumb, Kulab, Kofimign and finally reach Dushanbe.
o This will enhance the efficiency of the supply of services and goods among these
states.
o Thus, there lies a unique opportunity for Pakistan in the form of SCO’s permanent
membership as it will facilitate Islamabad to enhance its strategic and economic
postures in the SCO region.
 o Pakistan is located at a crossroads connecting South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and
Western China and it can provide the shortest route to the warm waters of the
Arabian Sea for western China as well as Central Asia.
o To achieve the maximum out of this strategic location, connectivity shall be established
as Pakistan’s location serves as a gateway for the landlocked countries and could
become a transit economy through Gwadar.
o Furthermore, due to the short distance from the Persian Gulf, which produces 65 per
cent of the world’s oil and almost half of the world’s oil business takes place through
Strait of Hormuz, geostrategic importance of Pakistan has already compelled China to
connect with it through Gwadar port under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC).
o Gwadar port provides the only direct and shortest route for China and Central Asia
with the Middle East and West Asia.
o Afghanistan is strategically linked to Central and South Asia, hence it is placed in the
southern neighbourhood of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
 Pakistan-SCO collaboration
o Since 2015, the SCO emerged as a crucial actor in the world.
o Through this organisation, two important Eurasian giants, China and Russia, came
together while many other states have been given membership, observer status or
labelled as dialogue partners.
o In 2005, Pakistan was included as an observer state and later in 2010, it applied for its
permanent membership.
o In the 2015 meeting of the Heads of the States in Ufa, Russia, it was decided to grant
permanent membership to Pakistan (was given full membership in 2017).
o Permanent membership for countries like Pakistan has great significance.
o Pakistan is a very important partner for all the SCO members to fight against the
aforementioned “three evils.”
o It provides an opportunity for Pakistan to play its due role in the promotion of regional
stability, antiterrorism, trade and commerce.
o As it is said about the SCO, it has the potential to change the politico-economic and
strategic landscape of the world.
o Its members have a great opportunity to enhance regional connectivity and also have
very rich resources of gas and oil manufacturing base.
o The South Asian states are suffering from acute energy crises.
o Their energy demands will increase manifold in the coming years.
o The soaring growth of the population of South Asia is estimated to be 3 billion in the
next two decades.
o This rapid growth of population will also enhance the energy requirement in the
emerging Asian economies.
o The problem of energy shortages in the South Asian countries is similar. India suffered
two power breakdowns in 2012, with the growing energy demand of 4 per cent.
o Likewise, Pakistan has been facing energy shortages since 2007 and its estimated
requirement of power in 2030 will be 50,000 MW.
o Within the framework of the SCO, the South Asian countries have a great opportunity
to start new energy projects, which not only provide energy but also promote
economic integration.
o The two mega projects including Iran-Pakistan (IP) and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-
Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipelines will be very much beneficial for the region and will
especially address Pakistan’s energy requirements.
o The fulfilment of energy demands will help in enhancing productivity and ultimately,
improving the economic situation of Pakistan.
o Furthermore, the transit charges of the gas and oil pipelines will contribute millions of
dollars to Pakistan’s revenue.
o After the addition of Pakistan and India as permanent members, the economic
imperative for both countries has been very clear.
o China is interested to invest in the South Asian region, for instance in the CPEC and
Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) corridor, which are the best examples of its
economic investments.
o Furthermore, inclusion in the SCO is itself a great message for the anti-Pakistan lobby.
o By joining the SCO, Pakistan holds more chance to thwart any attempt to isolate it
diplomatically.
o The SCO’s membership would help Pakistan to participate more effectively in the
world order defined by regional connectivity.
o The SCO membership is also very important from the security point of view as Pakistan
has been suffering from terrorism and extremism.
o The SCO is a great forum for Pakistan to share its experience and coordinate with the
member states to eradicate terrorism from the region.
o Agreements signed between Islamabad and the SCO members, during the last few
years, have unfortunately been not much successful due to lack of institutional
cooperation.
o For Pakistan, the SCO’s Regional Counter-Terrorism Structure (RATS) can be helpful in
increasing cooperation and institutional agreement in a comprehensive manner.
o The SCO also provides an opportunity for Pakistan to strengthen its ties and increase
trade with the European countries, which was a dream earlier.
o Coordination between Pakistan and India is very crucial for the regional development
and stability of South Asia, which can also be achieved through the SCO.
o Coordination between India and Pakistan is also important for the development of the
South Asian trade routes and energy corridors which can be helpful for economic
stability and regional integration.
o For these reasons, the SCO can provide a neutral venue to both countries to discuss
and address their concerns including Kashmir through dialogue and peaceful
approaches.
o Economic prosperity is one of the important motives for every nation and economic ties
are closely linked with foreign policy. Creating a peaceful and conducive environment
for foreign firms is important to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
o The SCO can provide a forum for creating a soft image for enhancing trade
relationships of Pakistan and also help to explore new markets for trade.
o Unfortunately, over the years, the image of Pakistan suffered a setback due to the
presence of pro-Taliban forces.
o Pakistan has been invariably bracketed with militant extremism despite having
contributed to War on Terror (WoT) substantially.
o Pakistan lost more than 60,000 lives.
o The SCO, with its more transparent ability to interact with its member countries
culturally as well, holds the potential to change it.
o People to people contact and easy access to the Pakistani markets could be an
effective mechanism.
o Pakistan has the opportunity to use the SCO forums to highlight its sacrifices and
success against terrorism to improve its image in the region.
o Situated at the crossroads of South West and South Asia, Pakistan offers the trade and
energy linkages through its sea lanes to the landlocked CAR’s by providing a
communication highway.
o In fact, it can prospectively become a central hub of trade and communication.
o With three major emerging economic partners in the SCO, Pakistan can improve its
existing infrastructure of energy resources.
o It can also initiate new infrastructure projects to maximise the potential of economic
gains.
o China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the strongest massive project of 65 nations that
aimed to establish a modern Silk Road to connect Asia, Africa and Europe.
o The two main projects of BRI are “the Maritime Silk Road” (MSR) and the “Silk Road
Economic Belt” (SREB).
o The CPEC is one of the cornerstones of this mega project through which China will
acquire access to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan.
o Every corridor of the BRI has its own importance whether it is through sea or land but
none of these are as important as the CPEC, especially in the context of strategic
locations.
o This route will be cost-effective for a faster trade in the world.
o China has been facing problems, especially in those countries which have defence
pacts with Japan and the US, like Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.
o All these countries have troublesome relations with China due to the BRI project.
o Therefore, China is looking to re-route its trade and Gwadar can be a safe option after
China’s own ports within its own borders.
o Transportation for China from the Middle East through the Strait of Malacca currently
takes about 45 days which can be reduced to just 10 days via Gwadar.
o Apart from cost and time effectiveness, Gwadar port is the safest route for China. Due
to the aforementioned reasons, the CPEC has a pivotal role to play in the completion of
the BRI vision.
o According to Xi Jinping’s vision of BRI, Pakistan is one of the largest beneficiaries of the
65 nations as it is strategically closest to China.
o The latest example of its benefits is the CPEC. The vision is to link Kashgar to the
Gwadar port.
 o The strategic interest of China is to get access through the Arabian Sea, which is a
choke point with Singapore at one end and India at the other.
o In return, Pakistan will get the biggest infrastructural development by China.
o China is ready to invest more than US$55 billion in Pakistan for the installation of new
power plants and upgrading of roads and railways to improve infrastructure.
o According to the Pakistan Business Council, this project is equal to 20 per cent of the
country’s GDP for the period of the next five years and will increase its growth by
three per cent points.
o For Pakistan, this membership will help in combating terrorism while sharing the
challenges and experiences with the member states. It will also help to boost the
economy of Pakistan.
o Membership of the SCO has given new direction and boosted the economic and political
relations of Pakistan with all member states and especially with China and the Central
Asian states.
o The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has identified 52 potential roads to connect the
CARs and five seaports to connect Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
o The Pakistani ports will be connected through 31 roads to central Asia which will
increase regional trade by 160 percent.
o Possible routes from Pakistan to Central Asian states are:
1. Karachi-Taftan-Zahidan-Tehran-Astara-Baku
2. Taftan-Zahidan-Mashad-Badjagiran-Ashkabad
3. Karachi-Chaman-Peshawar-Gilgit
4. Chaman-Khandhar-Heart-Kushka
5. Peshawar- Kabul-Termiz
6. Gilgit-Kunjerab-Bishkek-Almaty (formerly known as Alma Ata).
 Conclusion
o Since 2015, the SCO appeared to be one of the influential organisations in the world. It
has changed its structure and broadened its objectives over time but it would be fair to
say that it is still in the evolving stage.
o The Astana(now Nur-Sultan) summit has given a new direction to the foreign relations
of Pakistan through which it has a great opportunity to boost its economy.
o BRI is China’s master plan and the CPEC is considered as its backbone by all
stakeholders.
o After the completion of the CPEC and its linkages with the corridor, the Gwadar port will
become the nearest and largest seaport for all landlocked countries. This aspect of the
CPEC will be very important for all the Central and West Asian countries facilitating the
completion of BRI.
o BRI will bring economic benefits and prosperity to Pakistan, China and other
neighbouring states. As the US, India and Japan have reservations regarding these
plans, Pakistan needs to act wisely and skilfully.
o The strategic proximity of Pakistan makes it a hub for Central Asian, South Asian and
Russia-China nexus for connectivity and trade.
o The location of Pakistan is ideal among all the regions of Asia and can offer the
shortest sea route to the landlocked countries.
 o This unique position of Pakistan can strengthen the linkages between all stakeholders
for trade and integration.
o Permanent membership of Pakistan in the SCO in the Astana(now Nur-Sultan) summit
has, therefore, strengthened its ties with all the member states and especially with the
CARs on the one hand, while on the other hand, it has provided an opportunity to
Pakistan to resolve its issues including border, energy and economic. This is an
opportunity that Pakistan must take full advantage of.

 What is in it for Russia?

o The Russia-Pakistan relationship, growing at a slow pace after the collapse of the
Soviet Union, has acquired a certain momentum in recent years.
o The ties in the initial years after establishment of Pakistan were saddled with distrust
of the Cold War period, most glaringly after the support extended by Pakistan to the
Mujahedeen to help the CIA in Afghanistan in the 1970s-80s.
o The fact that the USSR was a close friend of India as Pakistan sided with the US had
limited the scope of bilateral interactions.

o In the immediate post-Soviet years, no concerted effort from either side was made to
improve the relationship.

o In 2003, Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf visited Moscow, while from the
Russian side, the prime ministerial level visit took place in 2007 when Mikhail Fradkov
visited Pakistan, but could only manage ‘meagre results.’

o Some progress was seen with regular meetings between presidents Dmitri Medvedev
and Asif Ali Zardari, resulting in the latter’s visit to Moscow in 2011.
o Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Pakistan in 2012, followed by the visit of
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2014, which was an important point in the
relationship.
o Subsequently, Russia decided to lift its embargo on Pakistan and agreed to supply four
Mi-35 helicopters besides building of a $2.1 billion gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore
(called North-South Gas Pipeline-NSGP). This signaled the intent of both parties to
engage — despite the concerns of India regarding this proximity in ties.
o Improvement in Russia-Pakistan relationship
o The US had announced a troop draw-down from Afghanistan in 2012, followed by the
announcement of a withdrawal in 2014.
o By then, Russia had already demonstrated its willingness to expand its influence in its
neighborhood and push back against the US, looking at Afghanistan as another area to
assert its position.
o Apart from this rationale, Russia is particularly interested in Afghanistan due to its
impact on security in the broader Central Asian region and also concerned about the
threat of terrorism and drugs flowing into its borders via Central Asia.
o Moscow also noted the threat to regional stability arising from the presence of Islamic
State in Afghanistan as the reason for its renewed interest there.
o In this context, building relations with Pakistan became relevant due to its strategic
location and influence.
o While Russia sees Pakistan as an important player in dealing with the evolving
situation in Afghanistan.
o Moscow has over the years also built its contacts with the Taliban, a change from its
earlier position of supporting the Northern Alliance (The Afghan Northern Alliance)
against the Taliban.
o 2016 saw China, Pakistan and Russia come together to discuss Afghanistan, which
came under criticism for not including Afghan representatives.
o This has since been expanded to also include Afghanistan, Iran and India.
o The inclusion of Pakistan into SCO and the finalisation of the roadmap for the SCO-
Afghanistan Contact Group gives the two countries another venue for cooperation on
the issue.
o Pakistan, which has seen military assistance from US frozen during the Trump
administration and a worsening of overall ties, has been eager to embrace Moscow.
o In practical terms, this has meant more frequent visits at the ministerial and heads of
armed forces level and participation in joint military drills that have been held
annually since 2016.
o In 2017, a military-technical cooperation agreement was signed which deals with arms
supply and weapon development.
o A year later, in 2018, this led to the decision to set up a commission on military-
technical cooperation but no new arms deals have been announced as yet.
o Gazprom (Gas Industry Company of Russia) is also looking at the prospect of supplying
LNG to Pakistan and construct regional pipelines which have been bogged down in
security concerns and geopolitical tussles.
o A naval cooperation agreement has also been signed in 2018. The Russia-Pakistan
Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism and other Challenges to International
Security that had since its establishment in 2002 only held four rounds of meetings till
2009, was revived in 2014. Since then, it has met in 2016 and 2018, with another
meeting is expected this year.(check the internet for update)
o Bilateral trade in 2018 was estimated to touch $800 million, up from $600 million the
previous year.
o In 2019, Russian delegation visited Pakistan to hold 6th IGC meeting.
o Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) works to improve trade, economic, scientific and
technical cooperation between the two countries.
o According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia and
Pakistan have also increased their trade of military weapons.
 Four Mi-35M heavy attack helicopters worth $153 million were ordered from
Russia in 2015.
 Russia officially handed over four Mi-35M helicopters to The Pakistan Army
Aviation Corps (PAAC) in August 2017.
(Another Article)

 In 2019, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
had “high-level meetings” with Russia President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov, respectively, on the sidelines of SCO summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
 According to a statement by the foreign minister, he said both sides had a frank exchange on
issues of regional interest and concerns.
 Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan conveyed that it was interested in building synergies
with Russia and chart new frontiers of cooperation and engagement.

 Meanwhile, Foreign Office in a press statement said the Prime Minister’s engagement with
world leaders, including President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, lent further
momentum to Pakistan’s all-weather strategic cooperative partnership with China and to the
growth of Pakistan’s multi-dimensional ties with Russia.

 He urged the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to finalise
arrangements for trade in local currencies and set up SCO Fund and SCO Development Bank to
catalyse the trans-regional development agenda.

 He was presenting his eight-pronged course of action for SCO in the light chaotic international
politics.

 The prime minister had said the SCO should reinforce its vision of cooperation, that rejects
confrontation, and advance the imperatives of peaceful co-existence at the regional and
international levels.

 He had said the SCO member states should galvanise the “Shanghai Spirit” to strengthen the
organisation’s core mandate of mitigating the risks of conflict, fostering confidence, and
promoting stability.
 The eight-member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), including China,
Russia, and Pakistan, have made the principle decision to conduct bilateral trade and
investment and issue bonds in local and national currencies instead of US dollars.

 Russia, as chairman of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, has called for suggestions from
all member states for trade and investment in local currencies. After a detailed review of these
proposals in Moscow’s meeting, a system of mutual settlement of national currencies will be
introduced for the member countries of the SCO.

 All member states will sign a roadmap for trade and investment in national currencies
between member states.
 Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia are the observer countries of the SCO who wish to
become a regular member of the organization.

 Reports say that if the trade and investment between the member states of the SCO begin in
national currencies instead of dollars and pounds, it will be a big breakthrough. It will also
strengthen the national currencies of the member countries and promote mutual trade and
investment.