akistan successfully hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of the Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad after terror attacks had taken place recently in some parts of the country. What might be encouraging for Pakistan is the meeting’s focus on terrorism, extremism and security, which was reflected in the joint communique released at the end. This indicates that all SCO member countries share an understanding that terrorism is a key factor hampering development and cooperation among member countries.

The 2024 SCO-CHG meeting in Islamabad was the second most important event in Pakistan after the 1974’s Islamic Summit. Eight heads of state attended the conference. Of the member states, Russia, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan and Pakistan are trying to counter terrorism and extremism. Only Mongolia has been untouched by this menace.

Afghanistan was not invited to the SCO-CHG meeting because of its inactive membership since September 2021.

Some terror networks tried to sabotage the summit by increasing the frequency and intensity of their attacks just ahead of the arrival of foreign dignitaries and during the summit.

On October 7, a suicide bombing, claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army, killed two Chinese engineers and injured at least 10 people in Karachi. The Chinese embassy in Pakistan said that the explosion targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a power project in Sindh.

On October 12, dozens of people armed with guns, rockets and hand grenades attacked private coal mines in Balochistan, killing several sleeping miners. Others were lined up and shot, killing at least 21.

On October 15, the day the meeting was to commence, dozens of the terrorists stormed a police station in Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing and injuring several police officials. The government did not confirm the death toll and injuries. The proscribed TTP claimed the responsibility for the attack saying, “Our warriors killed over a dozen cops.”

On October 16, on the final day of the summit, the TTP claimed to have attacked another police station in Dera Ismail Khan, killing an inspector and injuring several police officials.

These incidents were being closely monitored by member countries but none expressed concerns over the security of their participating dignitaries. The Iranian vice president, who came to Pakistan for the meeting, left before the concluding day because of the ongoing Iran-Israel tensions. Iran’s Minister for Trade and Industry stayed at the summit.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, in his address, highlighted the importance of Afghanistan for regional peace and efforts to counter terrorism. He said the need of the hour was to bring an end to the use of Afghan soil for terrorism. He urged the international community to provide substantial humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. “Afghanistan has a crucial role in regional stability, but terrorism from Afghan soil must stop,” he said.

In his address, Chines’s Premier Li Qiang stressed the need for joint efforts to effectively counter terrorism. He said the SCO member states should step up joint actions to combat the “three forces,” and accelerate the building of a universal centre to address the challenges and threats to the security of SCO member states.

Indian Foreign Minister J Shankar said, “If activities across borders are characterised by terrorism, extremism and separatism, they are hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges in parallel.”

“If trust is lacking or cooperation inadequate, if friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address,” he further said.

The meeting proved a great success for Pakistan. The notion that the country was getting isolated internationally was also laid to rest. The SCO meeting also highlighted the fact that terrorism is not a concern for Pakistan alone but also for other member states. Pakistan’s efforts in bringing forth security issues and current regional terrorism as key points in the SCO agenda speak of a shift in its foreign policy.

The joint communique indicated that regional security and stability remained key priorities throughout the meeting. Member-states addressed concerns regarding shared challenges such as terrorism, extremism and organised crime.

The most important outcome of the summit was an informal discussion between the Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers during the luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Dar and Shankar sat side-by-side and discussed the future of bilateral relations.

It is hoped that this informal chat will result in positive outcomes such as the resumption of cricket between the two neighbours, and opening up of venues for cooperation in trade and regional security.

The writer is a senior journalist, teacher of journalism, writer and analyst. He tweets at @BukhariMubasher