{"id":19244,"date":"2025-01-01T07:06:38","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T07:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cissajk.org.pk\/?p=19244"},"modified":"2025-06-10T08:05:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T08:05:44","slug":"indias-position-in-sco-the-pot-calling-the-kettle-black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/?p=19244","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Position in SCO: The Pot Calling the Kettle Black"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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When India\u2019s External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, visited Islamabad to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government Summit, it marked the first visit by a senior Indian official to Pakistan in nearly a decade. Some viewed this as an opportunity to improve relations between Islamabad and New Delhi and to initiate future dialogue.\u00a0However, India\u2019s traditional approach of beating around the bush and not engaging with Pakistan on multiple core regional issues has cast a shadow over the prospects for regional integration and indicated that meaningful progress may remain elusive.<\/p>

No region can thrive without the cooperation between key regional actors, as seen in the European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Even the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) struggled due to India\u2019s failure to assume a supportive role. Although SAARC initially made some progress, India\u2019s confrontational approach toward Pakistan ultimately halted its development. The SCO risks a similar outcome if India continues its unavailing policy of isolating Pakistan and New Delhi would do well to address its internal and external challenges before attributing blame elsewhere.<\/p>

The tensions between India and Pakistan are unlikely to ease unless India reassesses its rhetoric toward Pakistan and refrains from consistently portraying it in a negative light. Effective diplomacy requires a balanced and constructive approach, especially between neighboring countries with shared histories and intertwined futures. The constant framing of Pakistan as a primary antagonist undermines opportunities for dialogue and trust-building, which are essential for achieving long-term regional stability.<\/p>

Moreover, India\u2019s tendency to attribute regional security issues solely to Pakistan fuels animosity and diverts attention from the complex, multifaceted nature of these challenges. Professor T.V. Paul of McGill University argues that Pakistan\u2019s refusal, unlike other smaller South Asian states, to \u2018accord India higher status\u2019 and acknowledge New Delhi\u2019s regional dominance has undermined India\u2019s aspirations for greater status outside the region. He points out that Pakistan does not even offer a \u2018nominal recognition\u2019 to India\u2019s position as the regional leader. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has increasingly treated Pakistan as a \u2018status-deficient\u2019 nation, deliberately using terms like cross-border terrorism to reinforce this view and evade meaningful cooperation. Paul concludes that for any state to achieve global power, it must first assert its regional dominance, and India\u2019s refusal to recognize Pakistan\u2019s claim to equal status will likely impede its pursuit of international prominence.<\/p>

Therefore, a shift in New Delhi\u2019s approach could open the door to cooperative initiatives, reduce animosity, and allow both regional powers to address shared concerns like economic instability, conflict resolution, and regional security from a collaborative standpoint. True progress will only be possible if India perceives Pakistan as a partner rather than an adversary. Pakistan\u2019s overtures of consistent offerings of olive branch have been spurned by India, which has led to a stalemate like situation when it comes to regional integration.<\/p>

India\u2019s Position in the SCO and its Domestic Realities<\/strong><\/p>

At the recent SCO summit, Jaishankar\u2019s assertion that \u2018terrorism and trade cannot go hand-in-hand\u2019 directly contradicts the SCO\u2019s primary objectives of multilateral engagement and peaceful conflict resolution. Such accusatory statements from a senior Indian official, especially on a significant multilateral platform, promote an environment of hostility, undermining one of the SCO\u2019s core principles\u2014cooperation.SCO is intended to serve as a platform for resolving disputes through dialogue and trust-building. When a key member like India prioritizes confrontation over collaboration, it weakens the organization\u2019s ability to address regional challenges effectively and hinders its mission to promote unity among member states.<\/p>

Indian experts who support this hardline stance often overlook India\u2019s own challenges with its global image. Allegations regarding India\u2019s involvement in promoting terrorism and espionage abroad, particularly in Qatar, and its targeted killings in Pakistan as far as far beyond in Canada and other allegations of its plotted assassinations including in the US and Europe, weaken its position as a responsible actor within the SCO. These actions not only draw international criticism but also highlight contradictions in New Delhi\u2019s calls for regional stability and counter-terrorism efforts. As a major player in the SCO, India is expected to uphold values of mutual respect and peaceful engagement, especially within a multilateral framework aimed at promoting cooperation.<\/p>

While discussing cooperation among SCO member states, Jaishankar emphasized the importance of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, India\u2019s surgical strikes in Pakistan in 2016 and 2019 appear inconsistent with this emphasis on sovereignty. By conducting these strikes, India violated Pakistan\u2019s sovereignty, thereby weakening its position when advocating for the respect of territorial integrity in international forums. The primary catalyst for the current diplomatic deadlock between the two nuclear powers is New Delhi\u2019s unilateral decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir\u2019s special status by repealing Article 370 of its Constitution. This action stands in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions concerning the contested region.<\/p>

Additionally, New Delhi\u2019s endorsement of the \u2018Akhand Bharat\u2019 concept raises concerns among its regional partners, further eroding the trust needed for genuine cooperation within multilateral forums. This vision, which implies a unified Indian subcontinent under a single cultural or political framework, is seen by neighboring countries as a direct challenge to their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Such ambitions stoke fears of India attempts of regional dominance and create tension within platforms like the SCO, where the foundation rests on mutual respect and the commitment to equality among member states.<\/p>

Furthermore, the spirit of the SCO is rooted in promoting mutual trust and cooperation. While the SCO primarily includes countries from Eurasia, it also offers opportunities for collaboration among developing countries, aligning with the broader interests of the Global South. However, the SCO\u2019s true potential to become a voice for the Global South depends on unity and constructive engagement among its members. New Delhi’s persistent anti-Pakistan rhetoric undermines this potential by creating barriers to deeper cooperation and mutual trust, both of which are central to the SCO\u2019s mission.<\/p>

Lastly, Prime Minister Modi\u2019s decision to send Jaishankar to the SCO summit in Pakistan, while attending the BRICS summit in Russia himself, signals a selective engagement with the organization\u2019s objectives. Additionally, by opposing key regional connectivity initiatives, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), New Delhi distances itself from one of the SCO\u2019s core priorities\u2014economic integration and development. For India to play a more effective role within the SCO, it must reassess its strategic choices and align them with the organization\u2019s overarching vision of promoting economic integration and collective security.<\/p>

Maryyum Masood is working as a Research Officer & Associate Editor at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad. She is also an MPhil scholar in the department of Strategic Studies at the National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad. She tweets at @Mariyam60Shah <\/strong><\/p>

Mobeen Jafar Mir is working as a Research Officer at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad. He tweets at @jafar_mobeen <\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When India\u2019s External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, visited Islamabad to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government Summit, it marked the first visit by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":21871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[235],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kashmir-conflict-state-and-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/79"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19244"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21785,"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19244\/revisions\/21785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/strategicforecast.cissajk.org.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}