Pakistan has officially announced that it will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in 2027, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging authorities to begin preparations in Islamabad well in advance.
Speaking at a road development project inauguration in Rawat near Rawalpindi, Sharif stressed the importance of commencing immediate planning to provide adequate infrastructure, including accommodations for international delegations, alongside efforts to beautify the capital.
Sharif did not disclose an exact date for the summit, which will be determined collectively by member states. This declaration comes shortly after the recent SCO Summit held in Tianjin, China, where Pakistan placed emphasis on the issue of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
The IWT, originally signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, has been in limbo since India suspended its implementation following the April Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people.
The SCO’s Tianjin summit, which saw active participation from all member countries, strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms. In a joint declaration, member states denounced the Pahalgam attack and aligned with India’s stance that “double standards” in the fight against terrorism are unacceptable.
The declaration also extended condemnation to other attacks, including bombings in Khuzdar and on the Jaffer Express train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province—both of which highlighted the persistent threat of violent extremism across the region.
This dual condemnation demonstrated the SCO’s evolving security agenda, which positions counterterrorism as a shared cornerstone among its members.
For Pakistan, the grouping’s rebuke of terrorism on its soil was particularly significant, as it reinforced the narrative that stability in Balochistan is a matter of international and regional concern, beyond domestic politics.
This will not be Pakistan’s first time hosting an SCO-related event, as it previously organized the Council of Heads of Government meeting in 2024.
During that summit, Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the necessity of enhancing regional connectivity and investing in shared mechanisms that strengthen the collective economic and strategic capacity of member states.
The government declared a three-day holiday then to accommodate high-level delegations and ensure security arrangements, setting a precedent for the level of preparation expected in 2027.
By announcing preparations three years in advance, Islamabad is signalling both its ambition to elevate the nation’s international profile and its desire to present itself as a capable organizer in contrast to the domestic challenges of economic recovery, political opposition, and continued militancy.
The SCO itself has gained stature as an influential Eurasian political, economic, and security organization since its founding in Shanghai in 2001 by six countries—China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Over two decades, it has grown into a 26-nation framework, currently consisting of ten members, two observers, and 14 dialogue partners, expanding its footprint across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
With heavyweight economies such as China, Russia, and India alongside new partnerships with developing countries, the SCO commands significant weight, representing approximately half of humanity and nearly one-quarter of global GDP.
This dispersion of influence makes SCO summits critical platforms not only for addressing terrorism and security risks but also for shaping connectivity initiatives, multilateral trade expansion, and dialogue between competing regional powers.
For regional geopolitics, Pakistan’s hosting of the summit in 2027 could carry notable implications. The strained Pakistan-India relationship casts uncertainty on whether both leaders will openly engage at the summit, especially since New Delhi has strongly articulated its security concerns after the Pahalgam attack and placed the IWT on hold.
Islamabad’s intention to foreground the water-sharing dispute indicates that the summit could become a stage for addressing critical bilateral grievances even as multilateral cooperation themes dominate.
At the same time, Pakistan will likely aim to highlight infrastructure, transit connectivity, and investments, leveraging its geographic location to present itself as a hub between Central Asia, South Asia, and China.
Overall, Pakistan’s 2027 SCO Summit hosting announcement serves as both a diplomatic manoeuvre and a domestic political statement. Internationally, it underscores Islamabad’s commitment to remain engaged in one of the most dynamic multilateral platforms that include rival India, close partner China, and strategic peer Russia.
Domestically, it allows Shehbaz Sharif’s government to project confidence and forward planning, at a time when public opinion is often shaped by political volatility, economic struggles, and questions over governance.
For the SCO, the upcoming summit not only maintains the tradition of rotating venues but also sends a strong signal about Pakistan’s role as a stakeholder in cooperative security and development frameworks in the broader Eurasian region.
Based On PTI Report
