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Pakistan is a founding member of both the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), but faces challenges in SAARC due to tensions with India. While ECO shows more economic potential, particularly with recent developments, SAARC's progress is hindered by unresolved issues and a lack of regional commitment. Pakistan's impending full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is viewed positively, offering opportunities for dialogue and cooperation, though concerns remain about potential tensions similar to those in SAARC.

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8 views2 pages

Rescued Document

Pakistan is a founding member of both the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), but faces challenges in SAARC due to tensions with India. While ECO shows more economic potential, particularly with recent developments, SAARC's progress is hindered by unresolved issues and a lack of regional commitment. Pakistan's impending full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is viewed positively, offering opportunities for dialogue and cooperation, though concerns remain about potential tensions similar to those in SAARC.

Uploaded by

Baqir Ali
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Drawing on the provided source, Pakistan plays a significant role in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)

and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as a founding member of both
organizations. Additionally, Pakistan is an observer of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and was
expected to gain full membership in June 2017.
Here's a breakdown of Pakistan's role and the dynamics within each organization:
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC):
‫׆‬ Pakistan was one of the founding members when SAARC was initiated in 1985.
‫׆‬ Despite the organization's existence for over three decades and some modest achievements like the South
Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement and agreements on energy cooperation, double taxation avoidance, and
customs, the overall effort towards regional integration remains hampered by hostile relations between Pakistan
and India. Unresolved issues like Kashmir are cited as a primary reason for this.
‫׆‬ The source highlights that SAARC is largely seen as "hostage to Pak-India tensions, and India’s quest
for dominance". India's "hegemonic postures" have reportedly sabotaged summits, with the indefinite
postponement of the 2016 Islamabad summit being a recent example.
‫׆‬ There's a noted lack of prerequisites for regionalism in South Asia beyond geographic proximity. Member
states often find ways to avoid responsibilities in agreements, and the SAARC Charter excludes bilateral contentious
issues, hindering confidence-building.
‫׆‬ Concerns have been raised within Pakistan about whether continuing in SAARC's current environment
leads to a loss of its distinct identity, which was a foundational reason for the creation of Pakistan.
‫׆‬ Despite the bleak prospects for SAARC's progress, the prevailing view within Pakistan is that shunning
the organization is not a wise option, as it could allow India to use the forum against Pakistan more aggressively.
‫׆‬ Pakistan, along with China and Nepal, supports China becoming a full member of SAARC and also sees
potential in a "SAARC plus China" mechanism.
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO):
Pakistan is a founding member of ECO, initially as part of the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD)
established in 1964 with Iran and Turkey. RCD was revived as ECO in 1985, and its membership expanded in 1992
to include several Central Asian republics and Afghanistan.
While ECO has also not been a "notable success story," it has shown comparatively more progress in economic
cooperation than SAARC. Intra-ECO trade as a proportion of total external trade is higher than that of SAARC.
A significant roadblock for ECO has been the continuous foreign involvement and instability in Afghanistan.
Recent developments, such as the upsurge in the Turkish economy, the Iran nuclear deal, and the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC), have seemingly revived interest in ECO among member nations. The ECO Summit
held in Islamabad in March 2017 and the adoption of ECO Vision 2025 are forward-looking developments.
Pakistan engages in bilateral and sub-regional cooperation with other ECO members, such as Afghanistan,
Turkey, and Central Asian Republics.
With Pakistan's impending full membership in SCO, it will become the fifth country to be a member of both ECO
and SCO, highlighting the potential for inter-organizational cooperation. The possibility of "ECO+1" (ECO and
China) and "ECO+2" (ECO plus China and Russia) mechanisms is considered advisable.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):
Pakistan had observer status in SCO since 2005.
In 2015, SCO announced its willingness to admit Pakistan (and India) as full members. Pakistan signed a
Memorandum of Obligations in 2016 and was expected to formalize its full membership at the June 2017
summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, having fulfilled its membership obligations.
Analysts view Pakistan's full membership in SCO positively, anticipating benefits such as a regular forum for
dialogue with all members, including India, potential resolution of issues, increased market access, diversified
energy sources, and capitalizing on Pakistan's transit potential.
The presence of major powers like China and Russia in SCO makes it a balanced organization.
SCO is seen as having "brighter prospects" for Pakistan compared to SAARC and ECO, as it combines both
security and economic cooperation at a regional level.
Despite the optimism, there's a concern that the inclusion of both Pakistan and India as full members in SCO might
lead to a replay of the tensions seen in SAARC, although SCO's dominance by China and Russia might mitigate
this.
Overall, Pakistan actively participates in these regional organizations with varying degrees of influence and success.
While SAARC is significantly challenged by its relationship with India, ECO shows more economic potential, and
SCO is viewed as a promising platform for broader regional engagement combining security and economic
dimensions for Pakistan. The source suggests that Pakistan needs to strategically define its priorities and consider
various options, including fostering inter-organizational cooperation and focusing on sub-regional initiatives to
maximize its benefits from regional cooperation.

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