New Delhi: The 16th BRICS Summit concluded on October 23 in Kazan, Russia. An eventful summit showcasing that Russia is far from isolated on the international stage, all participating states can take home something of substance from the meet. For India and China, it was a chance to show a return to normalcy in ties following various border skirmishes in recent times. It was also a chance for new members to rejoice in having earned a seat in this upcoming non-Western club. The Kazan Declaration, issued at the end of the Summit, is also important and touches on many important issues concerning all parties in the mix.
For Pakistan though it is a case of missed opportunity, after their wishes to join the BRICS group were again dashed. It seems it will still take time for them to join this burgeoning Global South group, with India acting as a major bulwark against their hopes.
Of dashed dreams
Pakistan’s attempt to join BRICS again hit a dead end after it was again not named as a partner country in the group’s expansion. The major reason for this exclusion is India’s opposition to the country’s joining. India, a founding member alongside Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa, has reportedly been consistent in its stand to not include Pakistan in the BRICS group.
India has been able to accomplish this as the BRICS group functions on the basis of a consensus when it comes to admitting new members. India’s stance in blocking Pakistan has been consistent and has worked. This is despite there being support for Pakistan’s joining by some other founding nations like Russia and China.
Only recently Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk had visited Islamabad and held talks with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. During the visit he had said that Moscow would favour Pakistan’s inclusion in BRICS. Along with Russia, China too has strong ties with Pakistan. The hopes of Pakistan to join the BRICS was based on both these member states backing their involvement, but this has not materialised.
According to the ‘Standards and Criteria for BRICS membership expansion’ which were accepted during the 2023 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, a new BRICS member state should have “diplomatic and friendly relations with all existing BRICS member states”. A new member will be included on the basis of “full consultation and consensus”. This virtual veto has allowed India to successfully block Pakistan’s entry.
Pakistan hopes its inclusion in the BRICS will allow it to elevate its economic status and improve its diplomatic aspirations. A major powerhouse of the emerging Global South, inclusion in the BRICS can play well for Pakistan’s developmental aspirations. According to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson in Islamabad Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had earlier said, “We believe that by joining BRICS, Pakistan can play an important role in furthering international cooperation and revitalising inclusive multilateralism. We also hope that BRICS will move forward on Pakistan’s request in line with its commitment to inclusive multilateralism.“
The hopes remain unrealized. Since Pakistan applied for membership, countries such as Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have also submitted formal applications to be included. BRICS initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa has expanded, and included nations like Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
A non-Western grouping with the internet of breaking Western hegemony on global economics and politics, Pakistan hopes its inclusion in the group would go a long way in improving its current status, especially economically. In recent years, BRICS has made several attempts at connecting the Global South through trade, infrastructure and diplomacy. This would be of extreme help to a country like Pakistan.
In 2015, BRICS established the New Development Bank (NDB) to fund infrastructure projects across the Global South. It can be seen as analogous to institutions like the World Bank and the IMF. Considering the huge loans that Pakistan owes IMF and World Bank, their joining BRICS and being eligible to the NDB funds would be a huge help to the country’s flailing economy.
Pakistan’s inclusion into the BRICS would thus have been an all-round great deal for them. This the country has not been able to achieve, principally due to their sour relations with their neighbours, India. With how the ties between the two countries stand, it is unlikely that Pakistan would be joining the BRICS any time soon.
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