BRICS Prospects for Pakistan | Daily Writeup | Opinions
The following article, “How Does BRICS Offer Pakistan Prospects for Recovery?“, is written by Minahil Mohsin, a student of Sir Syed Kazim Ali. Moreover, the article is written on the same pattern, taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory subjects for years. Sir Kazim has uploaded his students’ solved past paper questions so other thousands of aspirants can understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
The global transformation has put immense pressure on countries to unite against exploitation, build better ties, and improve their socioeconomic standings, thereby enabling them to protect common interests. In the same way, BRICS members have united to achieve socioeconomic growth, peace, and prosperity. As every bloc has some ultimate objectives that benefit the states, BRICS has the potential to transform Pakistan’s social, political, and economic status by enabling the country to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the bloc. Consequently, better ties along with trade and investment agreements would help the country to move on the path of recovery. Indeed, the country can take a sigh of relief from the myriads of challenges when it becomes a member of the bloc. Likewise, the country can reduce its traditional dependence on the West and establish better diplomatic and security relations with regional powers through the novel bloc. Further, exploring new markets, accessing energy resources, and achieving modern technology would enable the country to focus on growth, stability, and recovery. However, the inclusion in the bloc and the subsequent advantages are not without challenges; the inclusion of India, past alliances with the West, and socioeconomic instability can create significant resistance. Nevertheless, establishing better relations with India and focusing on geo-economics can guide the country on the path of stability; afterwards, the country would be able to take advantage of the bloc.
To begin with, it is important to understand BRICS. It is an acronym used for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The bloc originated at the first summit held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009, while South Africa joined a year later. The basic purpose of the bloc is to establish deeper ties between member nations and to cooperate on economic expansion, including trade. These countries act as a counterbalance to traditional Western influence. BRICS countries have 26 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 16 per cent of the world’s trade. Recently, in September 2023, six more countries have been added to the bloc. It includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the UAE. However, till now, Argentina has not confirmed its inclusion in the bloc. Thus, the bloc includes a total of eleven countries united to boost regional and global ties along with trade expansion.
At present, Pakistan is not a member of the bloc, but the country is willing to join it in the future. The country has applied for membership; however, Indian inclusion in the bloc is a major hurdle in Pakistan’s way, thereby restricting its inclusion in it. Nevertheless, despite being a member, the country can take advantage of its better relations with China and Saudi Arabia to establish a cooperative way of working with BRICS countries and choose a way to be included in the bloc. Only through better relations with member states can Pakistan become a member of the rising bloc and embark on the journey towards its recovery.
The inclusion of Pakistan in BRICS offers prospects for regional integration. Currently, South Asia is the least integrated region in the world, and the regional trade is just one per cent. Contrarily, it is 65 per cent in Europe and 35 per cent in South East Asia. Therefore, the inclusion of Pakistan would bring regional integration, consequently helping Pakistan to take advantage of local trade. Moreover, diplomatic and regional issues can easily be resolved once trade interests come in between. With such an approach, Pakistan would be able to resolve traditional throes that existed in relations with regional countries. Thus, inclusion can help the country take advantage of regional integration, bringing many returns for the country’s recovery.
Similarly, with BRICS, Pakistan can access resource-rich countries in the world, mainly African and Middle Eastern countries. As the future of the world will depend on these minerals, Pakistan can also take advantage of these minerals by building friendly relations with these nations. The African continent is rich in basic earth metals that can help Pakistan to move towards renewable energy. For instance, the abundant lead element in Africa can be utilized for solar batteries. Similarly, oil and gas on easy terms can stabilize the country’s economy. For instance, efforts to revive the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline can bring significant gains for the country. Thus, Pakistan can move towards a sustainable future by establishing better relations with resource-rich regions.
Moreover, this bloc would help the country to enter the era of two oceans that are the cornerstones of trade and development. Pakistan would be able to establish friendly relations with African, Latin American, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern countries. This would help the country to maintain free trade agreements with these nations because the bloc puts extreme emphasis on building trade relations. In the same way, Pakistan, utilizing the Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), can provide the shortest possible route to the member states for trade with the Central Asian region. These trade-related agreements would boost the country’s exports and revenue generation and enable it to embark on a journey towards recovery.
Furthermore, new markets in Africa and Latin America can easily be accessed by the BRICS countries. Pakistan has limited itself to trade relations with a few countries, which limits the country’s new options. Therefore, under the banner of this bloc, Pakistani industries would be able to deliver their products to the 2.1 billion people market of Africa and Latin America. It would not only diversify the country’s export destinations but also help the country earn Foreign Exchange Reserves (FXR), thereby helping the country revive its industrial sector. With a flourishing economy, Pakistan would be able to focus on other sectors. Thus, with new markets having enough potential to accept the country’s products, Pakistan would move on the path of recovery.
Next, better relations with developing countries located in different parts of the world can bring more investments to the country. These investments would bring many opportunities for youth in different sectors, proving to be the harbinger of hope and recovery for the country. The issue of unemployment and poverty can also be addressed with the help of new investments in different areas; consequently, equitable development, addressing regional grievances, and proper resource utilization can easily be ensured. For instance, Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in CPEC have the potential to transform the country’s future by building industrial centres in different regions of the country. Thus, similar to Chinese investment in SEZ, new investments from other countries would also help the country choose its path of recovery.
Likewise, the inclusion of Russia and China in the bloc would boost the security of the country because of better diplomatic and security relations. Pakistan’s security can take a positive turn after inclusion in this novel bloc. It would help the country avoid the perennial threat from India that has long been stressed in the country’s economy and budget by focusing on security measures. Similarly, security agreements with Russia and China would enable the country to secure its frontiers and increase cooperation with regional countries on counter-terrorism efforts. In this situation, regional and global threats to the country can be mitigated. Thus, BRICS can help Pakistan strengthen its security by establishing security-based agreements with rising powers of the region.
Moreover, Pakistan would be able to shun its traditional dependence on the West after its inclusion in the bloc. Pakistan’s relationship with China has been a thorn in the eyes of the West. Therefore, the GSP+ status always falls into question, and its withdrawal would deprive the country of the European market, thereby hurting the country’s economy. Contrarily, the inclusion of the country in BRICS can help avoid such threats to the economy. Furthermore, controlling more than 16 per cent of global trade, this bloc would provide more opportunities for the country to diversify its export destinations. Thus, Pakistan can put an end to its traditional dependence on the West by taking advantage of the opportunities provided by this bloc.
Last but not least, Pakistan can benefit from modern technology that has arrived from member countries. This technology would boost the country’s infrastructure, thus easing the path to recovery. For instance, the Chinese installation of new power plants in CPEC is helping the country generate energy and fulfil the country’s demand to a greater extent. Similarly, Russian collaboration in pipelines, jet engines, and oil supply has helped Pakistan, paving the way for future technological collaboration. Likewise, the Indian information technology (IT) experience can also help Pakistan positively, offering abundant opportunities to the youth in the country. Thus, modern technology would boost the country’s infrastructure, bring employment opportunities, and transform the country’s economy.
However, there are some challenges that restrict Pakistan’s inclusion in the bloc. First, India’s presence in BRICS is a stumbling block to Pakistan’s participation. India does not have any opportunity to either blackmail Pakistan or restrict its economic growth. For this purpose, the country has made the regional organization, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), ineffective. Therefore, at the recent summit of the bloc, Pakistan’s proposal was not considered, and these hurdles will remain in the future because India is not willing to bring Pakistan into the bloc.
Second, Pakistan’s past relations with the West can restrict the country’s inclusion. The country has traditionally supported Western countries in the Soviet-Afghan War 1979 and the War on Terror (WOT), showing the country’s tilt toward Western interests. Therefore, the member states, especially Russia and China, may be wary of Pakistan’s inclusion because any future security alliance between Pakistan and the Western world might hurt the interests of the bloc. Thus, Pakistan’s tilt to the Western nations may restrict the country’s inclusion in the bloc.
Third, the socioeconomic condition of Pakistan is another challenge that can restrict the prospects of recovery. For instance, illiteracy coupled with poverty and unemployment has destroyed the social fabric of the country. Similarly, the country’s economy is in shambles and has not witnessed any praise-worthy growth since the turn of the century. In this situation, the country would not be able to move parallel to the member states of the bloc. Hence, the socioeconomic conditions of the country may restrict the prospects of recovery.
Nevertheless, a deep insight into the challenges that restrict Pakistan’s inclusion in the bloc shows the reformation of the country on a modern footing. For this purpose, there is a dire need to establish better relations with India. Only through this can issues between the two countries be resolved amicably. Next, Pakistan’s challenges in the way of inclusion in the bloc can also be mitigated; it would also be a positive step towards regional integration. Moreover, this step would enable the country to benefit from the bloc.
Similarly, Pakistan must put a permanent end to all sorts of military-based alliances with the western world. This would be a positive step towards confidence-building measures between Pakistan and the BRICS members. Such steps would lead to establishing trade and investment-related relations, ultimately helping Pakistan. Therefore, with a strong economy, the country can establish a foothold in the diplomatic and economic affairs of the world. Thus, the path to recovery can easily be achieved once geo-economics becomes the priority of the state.
Moreover, the country is in dire need of reforms that can help guide the country on the path of recovery. For this purpose, power devolution at the local level, equitable distribution of resources, and the rule of law must be the priorities of the state. In the same way, institutions must be kept within the constitutional limits. Further, education should be made free and compulsory, which would bring out the true potential of the country. Hence, restructuring Pakistan on a priority basis would help the country to take advantage of the opportunities provided by BRICS.
In conclusion, BRICS has the ultimate potential to uplift Pakistan from the dire situation and help the country embark on a journey towards recovery. The bloc would engage the country through trade, investments, and technological cooperation with multiple countries located in different parts of the world. Consequently, the country can achieve social development, economic growth, and political stability; it can also help the country to establish its foothold in the economic and diplomatic affairs of the world. However, the challenges to Pakistan’s inclusion must be mitigated with better diplomatic and socioeconomic initiatives. Only through these initiatives can Pakistan utilize the potential of the novel bloc and achieve its dreams. One thing is that Pakistan will become a part of the bloc in the future, which would ultimately be the journey towards the country’s socio-economic recovery.
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