Pakistan’s membership to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will boost the relationship between the regional countries will reach manifold. The much-awaited expansion of SCO would provide great opportunities to Pakistan keeping in view its geo-political, geo-strategic and geo-economic features and engagements.
This was the views of the speakers on the occasion of the roundtable on “Shanghai Corporation Organisation Membership and Regional Peace, Security and Development: Prospects for Pakistan” organised by Pakistan Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Friendship Forum- a project of Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies. Overall aim of this roundtable was to highlight the membership of Pakistan in SCO and regional peace security and development of Pakistan after joining the SCO.
Speakers of the session discussed about the summit meeting in Ufa on July 10 at which permanent member countries approved entry of India and Pakistan into the SCO. It was viewed that the SCO aimed to strengthen the grouping by inviting the subcontinent’s major states and prosperity, development and cooperation within the region in order to counter the three major threats to the regional peace, security and development; Terrorism, Extremism and Separatism.
While speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest of the roundtable, Principal Secretary to the President of Pakistan, Mr. Ahmad Farooq, said that we all need to work for the betterment of the country and be proud of what we have achieved by being part of the SCO Forum. It was a long wait but is worth it.
Ambassador of Russian Federation Mr. Alexey Yurievich Dedov shared about the Ufa Summit held where Pakistan and India were accepted to be part of the SCO permanent members. He also spelled out various initiatives that the Russian Federation has taken during the chairmanship of SCO.
Dr. Tughral Yamin Associate Dean Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at NUST, Dr. Muhammad Khan HOD / Associate Professor at National Defence University spoke about the several dimension of the grouping and its significance for the region especially Pakistan. Pakistan-Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Friendship Forum (PSCOFF) President, Ms. Farhat Asif, and founding President of Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies also described about the PSCOFF and highlighted its various aims and objectives. Several diplomats, academicians and members of various groups of civil society have taken keen interest in the roundtable and forum.
