The Pulse | Diplomacy | South Asia

Pakistan Takes SCO Presidency at a Crucial Time: What to Expect

As SCO chair, Pakistan can be expected to highlight new connectivity routes via Iran and Central Asia that link the Belt and Road Initiative to the Arabian Sea.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (center left) with Iran’s President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 31, 2026.

The annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from August 31 to September 1, brought together leaders from across Central Asia as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The meeting took place amid significant geopolitical shifts in West Asia. It was the first major Eurasian multilateral gathering after the 2026 Israel-U.S. war on Iran and the subsequent Islamabad Memorandum ceasefire negotiations.

Over more than 25 years, the SCO has evolved into a platform spanning Asia, the Middle East, and Eurasia. While member states often pursue divergent priorities, the grouping has still delivered measurable benefits.

For members of developing countries, including this year’s host Kyrgyzstan, the SCO has offered a practical framework for advancing transit connectivity, improving access to larger markets, particularly China, and coordinating regional security efforts. One example is the summit’s approval for the establishment of a permanent Bishkek Center, which is expected to begin operating with a practical role in coordinating law enforcement cooperation, facilitating the exchange of operational information, and conducting joint activities. For Kyrgyzstan, this represents the creation of a lasting SCO mechanism on its territory even after the end of its presidency.

This year’s summit carried particular diplomatic weight for Iran. In the Bishkek Declaration, SCO leaders condemned military strikes on Iranian territory as violations of international law and the U.N. Charter that create serious risks to international peace and security. They also reaffirmed Iran’s right to develop and use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes without discrimination.

While the declaration refrained from explicitly naming the attackers, securing consensus among member states was itself significant. This outcome arguably represents a continuation of the SCO’s main stance on the conflict. The moderate phrasing of the Bishkek Declaration on the war on Iran likely reflected strategic restraint by key players seeking to forge common ground.

Pakistan reportedly sought to protect the stability of the Islamabad Memorandum ceasefire negotiations between Iran and the United States by avoiding explicitly naming the attackers. On the other hand, India likely aimed to protect its balanced posture toward Western partners by agreeing to a joint declaration that avoided singling out the U.S. and Israel. Similarly, Central Asian member states, which also maintain diplomatic relations with major powers, benefited from this moderated language. In this context, by focusing on core principles of sovereignty and non-aggression rather than naming specific actors, the SCO arguably demonstrated its capacity to build a functional consensus amid complex geopolitical fault lines.

For Pakistan, this consensus arrives at a crucial time. The country has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026–27. The presidency is the organization’s highest rotating leadership role, which lasts one year and culminates in the host country organizing the next Heads of State summit. This means Pakistan is going to steer the forum’s agenda at........

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