Pakistan’s ideal location makes it ‘a source for regional economic integration’

Islamabad

Pakistan’s ideal location enables it to become a source for regional economic integration within and between the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, said Senator Sehar Kamran at a Roundtable discussion on ‘SCO Expansion: Geopolitical and Strategic Implications’ on Monday at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS).

The event was organised by the Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies (CPGS) and attended by senior public officials, including Lt. Gen (r) Naseer Khan Janjua, National Security Advisor, Atadjan Movlamov, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan, Senator Afrasiab Khattak, representatives from Nacta, diplomats and academicians, as well as members of the media.

The Roundtable was the third in the series under CPGS’ project ‘Regional Integration: Road to Peace and Prosperity,’ and focused on the geopolitical and strategic implications of the SCOs expansion in the region, as well as beyond, as its theme.

In her welcome remarks, CPGS President Senator Sehar Kamran (TI) also remarked that SCO expansion and Pakistan’s inclusion in the organisation will prove to be ‘mutually beneficial’, and Pakistan will act as a ‘zipper’ for the entire region.

She emphasised that the expansion of the organisation will better enable it to deter extra-regional pressures. With Pakistan’s permanent membership and vast experience in the context, new measures and joint ventures can also be taken for countering violent extremism in the region. Pakistan has achieved phenomenal success in internationally acclaimed ‘Operation Zarb-e-Azb’ and could share valuable expertise with the SCO member states.

Lt. General (r) Naseer Khan Janjua said awareness was key to the acceptance if anything new and this is particularly true in the case of SCO saying Pakistan would help SCO embrace the world and will act like a bridge. He also highlighted that Pakistanis are brilliant and resilient people. “We have endured this war for almost four decades; we’re misunderstood,” and that the SCO can play an important role in ameliorating the misperceptions surrounding the country, he said.

He commended CPGS for organising a timely roundtable and said such an attitude of embracing the upcoming opportunities is laudable.

Senator Afrasiab Khattak opined that it is ‘vital to create bridges and look for points of convergence. “Today’s age is the age of connectivity and SCO expansion is timely and Pakistan will be looking to play an important role in the region,” he said.

Speakers for the event were Dr. Petr Topychkanov, Associate at the Carnegie Moscow Center’s Nonproliferation Programme and Dr Saif ur Rehman from the Institute for Strategic Studies, Research and Analysis (ISSRA) at the National Defense University (NDU).

The proceedings were chaired by Dr Muhammad Khan, Head of the IR Department at NDU. During the discussion, the speakers highlighted the many implications of the SCO expansion for regional dynamics, as well as some of the challenges the process may face.