Significant Role of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the Context of Pakistan's Efforts to Eradicate Terrorism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64428/rm/v6.i3.3Keywords:
Counterterrorism, Pakistan, Regional Security, Regional Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, TerrorismAbstract
When the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was established in 2001, its objective was to collaborate in the war against terrorism and address challenges related to regional security. Its covert mission in the post-9/11 world is to counter the expanding power of the US government throughout the region. The organization’s structures were later enhanced by the inclusion of two nuclear-armed countries, boasting strong economies and sizable standing armies. Owing to this critical expansion, Pakistan now has an improved opportunity to work with other SCO members to promote regional peace and stability through economic and military cooperation. In addition, the SCO will allow Pakistan to improve its ties with almost all of its neighbors. To effectively present potential solutions and offer policymakers appropriate guidelines regarding these issues, this study provides the necessary data to draw conclusion on the core matters under consideration. Furthermore, it offers actionable recommendations based on its findings.
References
Adnan, M., & Fatima, B. (2015). Strategic and Economic Interests of Pakistan and India in Central Asia. South Asian Studies, 30(2), 187–200. http://111.68.103.26//journals/index.php/ijsas/article/view/3013
Azizi, S. (2024). China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): The Role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Geopolitical Security and Economic Cooperation. Open Journal of Political Science, 14(1), 111-129. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojps.2024.141007
Berdibaevich, S. S., Kasymovna, S. L., & Muratbekovna, S. G. (2017). The Main Problems of SCO Enlargement at the Present Stage. Asian Social Science, 11(13), 6–11. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v11n13p6.
Chakraborty, R. (2017, June). India-Pakistan in the Context of SCO Membership. In South Asia Democratic Forum (Vol. 94, pp. 1-4). https://www.sadf.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/comment.94.20170626.chakraborty-2.pdf
Chen, I. T. Y. (2023). Cross-border Threats, Reputational Costs and the Evolution of an Authoritarian Club: The Case of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 10(2), 223-248. https://doi.org/10.1177/23477970231173537
Cheng, J. Y. S. (2018). The Shanghai Cooperation Organization: China’s Initiative in Regional Institutional Building. In Multilateral Approach in China’s Foreign Policy (pp. 357-395). https://doi.org/10.1142/9789813221116_0008
Dawn. (2017, June 1). China Hopes of Better Pakistan, India Ties after Inclusion in SCO. https://www.dawn.com/news/1336760/china-hopes-of-better-pakistan-india-ties-after-inclusion-in-sco
Ganaie, R. A., & Ganaie, M. A. (2022). India’s Afghanistan Policy: A Quest for Strategic Space Post the US Withdrawal. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9(1), 462. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01489-7
Garbuzarova, E. G. (2021). The Role of the SCO in the Process of Neutralizing Regional Challenges and Threats. Post-Soviet Issues, 8(4), 425-436. https://doi.org/10.24975/2313-8920-2021-8-4-425-436
Gautam, A. (2024). Regional Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation: A Case of CANWFZ Treaty. International Studies, 61(1), 7-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/00208817241228720
Hao, D. (2023). China's Approach to the Shanghai Corporation Organization: Strategies, Progress and Prospects. China Int'l Stud., 102, 37. https://www.ciis.org.cn/gjwtyj/ywqk/202312/t20231229_9159.html
Hindustan Times. (2017). China says India, Pakistan should Mend Ties after Joining Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/india-pakistan-should-mend-ties-after-joiningshanghai-cooperation-organisation-china/story-nc5fsnddetfxhwnkhlzqco.html.
Khan, H., & Afridi, M. K. (2025). Trans-Regionalism, Regionalism, and Realism are what Explain India-Pakistan Relations Under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Central Asia, 96(Summer), 17-40. https://doi.org/10.54418/ca-96.241
Khan, H. U., Shah, M. F., & Khan, M. I. (2023). Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Afghanistan: Interests and Limitations. Margalla Papers, 27(1), 82-95. https://doi.org/10.54690/margallapapers.27.1.153
Khan, U. A., Malik, Z. U. A., Khan, M. I., & Fatima, H. (2021). Dynamics of Religious Extremism in Pakistan: Analyzing Role of Government, Media and Seminaries. UW Journal of Social Sciences, 4(1), 53-64. https://doi.org/10.56220/uwjss.v4i1.94
Kulaga, M. V. (2024). Formation of New Approaches to the Fight against Terrorism and Separatism in the Context of Increasing International Tension on the Eurasian Continent. In Global War on Terrorism-Revisited. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1003044
Kumar, S. S. (2022). The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): An Emerging Player in South Asia Policy Options for India. Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, 17(3/4), 205-221. https://doi.org/10.32381/IFAJ.2022.17.3-4.6
Lukin, A., Novikov, D., Puzanova, O., & Yenikeyeff, S. (2025). The Shanghai Cooperation Organization amidst the Rising International Tensions. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 16(2), 173-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/18793665251357320
MacHaffie, J. (2026). Shanghai Co‐Operation Organisation: A Concert of Eurasia?. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, 13(1), e70069. https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.70069
Munshi, U. (2022). Redefining Pakistan-Us Relations in Post-Afghanistan Withdrawal Phase. Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review, 6(3), 139-151. https://doi.org/10.47205/plhr.2022(6-iii)12
Qadir, M. I., & Rehman, S. U. (2016). Expansion of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Harbinger of Regional Peace and Prosperity. Journal of Political Studies, 23(1), 117–132. https://jps.pu.edu.pk/6/article/view/332
Rab, D. A., Faiz, D. J., & Rasheed, D. B. (2023). Exploring the Potential of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC): A Gateway to Regional Connectivity and Integration within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Pakistan Journal of International Affairs, 6(2), 107-126. https://doi.org/10.52337/pjia.v6i2.764
Rauf, S., & Tariq, M. (2024). The Bilateral Engagement of India and Pakistan at Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Prospects and Challenges. NUST Journal of International Peace & Stability, 20-33. https://doi.org/10.37540/njips.v7i1.161
Sajjanhar, A. (2022). India and Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, 17(3/4), 190-204. https://doi.org/10.32381/ifaj.2022.17.3-4.5
Seiwert, E. (2023). China’s Search for Partners with Shared Worldviews: Expanding the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization Family”. Asian Affairs, 54(3), 453-479. https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2023.2230796
Song, W. (2014). Interests, Power and China Difficult Interests, Power and China’s Difficult Game in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Journal of Contemporary China, 23(85), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/10670564.2013.809981
Stepanova, E. (2022). Russia, Central Asia and Non‐traditional Security Threats from Afghanistan following the US Withdrawal. Global Policy, 13(1), 138-145. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13058
Tanaka, A. (2025). Counter-Terrorism Cooperation in Central Asia after the Taliban’s Takeover of Afghanistan: Strategic and Institutional Adaptation. Journal of Contemporary East Asia Studies, 14(2), 304-329. https://doi.org/10.1080/24761028.2026.2654333
Vanderhill, R., Joireman, S. F., & Tulepbayeva, R. (2025). In the Shadow of the Dragon: Chinese Soft Power in Central Asia. International Affairs, 101(4), 1441-1461. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaf103
Wani, A. (2022). Taliban’s Afghanistan: An Emerging Security Challenge for India and Central Asia. Observer Research Foundation, 20. https://www.orfonline.org/research/taliban-s-afghanistan-an-emerging-security-challenge-for-india-and-central-asia
Wani, A. A. (2023). Decoding India's priorities at the SCO: Connectivity, Counterterrorism, and Afghanistan. https://hdl.handle.net/11159/654406
Yaqoob, H., & Qureshi, A. (2025). Pakistan-Russia Relations within the Framework of the SCO: A Regional Analysis. NUST Journal of International Peace & Stability, 91-105. https://doi.org/10.37540/njips.v8i1.188
Yuan, J. (2023). Forging a New Security Order in Eurasia: China, the SCO, and the Impacts on Regional Governance. Chinese Political Science Review, 8(3), 422-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41111-022-00223-7
Zhao, J., Wang, X., & Zhan, J. (2024). Is International Cooperation Effective in Combating Terrorism? Evidence from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Applied Economics, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2024.2331030
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fayaz Gul Mazloum Yar, Syed Shujat Husain
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
