By Syed Ali Jibran Naqvi
The world is passing through a period of profound uncertainty. Wars and geopolitical rivalries are reshaping international relations, energy markets remain vulnerable to disruption, climate change is intensifying environmental and humanitarian pressures, and access to water is increasingly becoming a strategic concern.
It was against this complicated backdrop that the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Plus Summit assumed particular importance.
For Pakistan, the summit was not simply another international diplomatic gathering. It provided an important platform to present the country’s concerns, articulate its foreign-policy priorities and underline the need for collective solutions to problems that increasingly cross national borders.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s address reflected this broader reality. His emphasis on regional peace, respect for international law, water security, collective security and the crises in the Middle East offered a comprehensive picture of Pakistan’s concerns and its desired role in the region.
But diplomacy alone cannot determine a country’s influence. Pakistan’s ability to translate international commitments into meaningful outcomes will ultimately depend on the strength of its economy, institutions, water-management system, energy policy and human capital.
The SCO Plus platform, therefore, should be viewed not merely as a diplomatic opportunity but as a chance for Pakistan to redefine its strategic priorities.
Water Is Becoming the Region’s Most Critical Strategic Resource
Perhaps one of the most important issues for Pakistan is water.
The Prime Minister’s message that water should not be turned into a weapon because it is the lifeline of the region deserves serious attention. For Pakistan, water is directly connected with food security, agriculture, energy generation, livelihoods and national economic stability.
The Indus River system sustains a huge portion of the country’s agricultural economy. Millions of farmers depend on the availability of water for irrigation, while hydropower projects depend on predictable river flows.
This makes water security a matter of national security.
The Indus Waters Treaty has historically provided a framework for managing the shared river system between Pakistan and India. However, growing tensions and disagreements over water infrastructure and river flows have demonstrated how vulnerable the region can become when political tensions spill into resource management.
Pakistan cannot afford to treat water diplomacy as an occasional foreign-policy issue. It needs to become a permanent component of the country’s strategic and diplomatic agenda.
The international community must also recognise that water disputes in South Asia are not simply bilateral disagreements. They affect food production, livelihoods, ecosystems and the future stability of one of the world’s most densely populated regions.
At the same time, Pakistan must look inward. Diplomatic arguments become far more credible when a country demonstrates that it is responsibly managing its own resources.
Pakistan loses enormous quantities of water through inefficient irrigation systems, inadequate storage, poor water management and wastage. The country therefore needs a dual strategy: stronger international water diplomacy and serious domestic water reform.
Climate Change Has Turned Water Security Into a Survival Issue
Water security cannot be separated from climate change.
Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Extreme rainfall, flash floods, prolonged droughts, glacial lake outburst floods, heatwaves and changing precipitation patterns are already creating enormous challenges.
The devastating floods of 2022 demonstrated how quickly an environmental crisis can become a humanitarian and economic catastrophe. At the same time, prolonged periods of water scarcity threaten agriculture and rural livelihoods.
This contradiction is one of Pakistan’s biggest climate challenges: at one moment there can be too much water, while at another there may not be enough.
The answer lies in climate-resilient infrastructure and intelligent water management.
Pakistan needs more effective flood-management systems, modern irrigation, rainwater harvesting, groundwater conservation and improved forecasting mechanisms. Urban planning must also take climate risks into account.
Cities cannot continue expanding over natural drainage channels, wetlands and flood-prone areas and then expect conventional drainage systems to cope with increasingly intense rainfall.
Climate resilience must become part of every major development decision.
The SCO can potentially provide a valuable platform for sharing expertise in disaster management, climate adaptation, water conservation and early-warning systems among member states.
The Middle East Crisis Requires Diplomacy, Not Escalation
The continuing instability in the Middle East has implications far beyond the region.
Pakistan has consistently advocated dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts. This approach is particularly important at a time when tensions involving Iran, the United States and other regional actors can potentially affect global energy supplies, trade routes and economic stability.
Pakistan shares a border with Iran and has important economic and security interests in the region. Any prolonged conflict could have direct consequences for Pakistan’s economy and regional connectivity.
The situation in Gaza and the West Bank is equally concerning.
The international community cannot claim to be committed to global peace while prolonged humanitarian suffering continues without an effective political solution. Sustainable peace requires respect for international law, protection of civilians and recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The crisis also raises broader questions about the effectiveness of the current international system.
The United Nations remains the world’s principal multilateral institution, but repeated failures to prevent or resolve major conflicts have strengthened calls for reform. The structure of the Security Council, in particular, needs serious reconsideration if the international system is to become more representative and responsive to contemporary realities.
Pakistan should continue advocating reforms that strengthen multilateral institutions and give greater voice to developing countries.
Collective Security and the Fight Against Terrorism
Security remains another central pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
Terrorism is not a challenge that can be addressed by one country alone. Extremist networks operate across borders, exploit technological platforms and take advantage of instability and weak governance.
Pakistan has paid an enormous price in its fight against terrorism. Its experience gives it an important voice in discussions on regional security.
The SCO can provide a practical framework for intelligence sharing, counterterrorism cooperation, border security and capacity building.
However, security cooperation should go beyond military responses. Poverty, unemployment, lack of education, social exclusion and political instability can create conditions that extremist groups exploit.
A sustainable counterterrorism strategy must therefore combine security measures with education, economic opportunity, social development and effective governance.
Pakistan’s Biggest Opportunity: Regional Connectivity
Pakistan’s geographical position is one of its greatest strategic assets.
The country sits at the intersection of South Asia, Central Asia, China and the Middle East. Yet geography alone does not create economic power. Infrastructure, political stability, trade policies and regional cooperation are equally important.
This is where the SCO and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor can become particularly significant.
Pakistan should seek to expand regional connectivity beyond bilateral arrangements and encourage Central Asian states and other SCO members to participate in trade, transport and energy projects.
If developed properly, Pakistan can become an important transit corridor linking landlocked Central Asian economies with ports in the Arabian Sea.
Gwadar and Karachi have the potential to serve as important gateways for regional trade, while road, rail and energy connections can strengthen Pakistan’s position as a regional economic bridge.
But this opportunity will remain theoretical unless Pakistan improves its governance, security environment, logistics infrastructure and investment climate.
CPEC Must Move From Infrastructure to Economic Integration
The second phase of CPEC should be viewed as more than a collection of individual projects.
Pakistan needs to focus on industrial development, technology transfer, agriculture, logistics, renewable energy and export-oriented investment.
The ultimate objective should be to create an economic ecosystem in which regional connectivity produces jobs, exports and sustainable growth.
Pakistan should also encourage greater participation by Central Asian economies. Regional integration can help create new markets for Pakistani products while giving landlocked countries access to international trade routes.
The success of this approach will depend on policy consistency.
Investors need confidence that agreements will be honoured, regulations will remain predictable and infrastructure will support commercial activity.
Energy Security Must Become a National Priority
The energy crises of recent years have provided another important lesson: countries cannot depend excessively on imported fuels without exposing themselves to international price shocks and geopolitical disruptions.
Pakistan has enormous potential for solar, wind and hydropower.
The country should accelerate investment in renewable energy while simultaneously improving the efficiency of its electricity transmission and distribution systems.
Solar energy, particularly, offers enormous potential for households, agriculture and small businesses.
But renewable energy should not be viewed only as an environmental policy. It is also an economic and national-security strategy.
Every reduction in dependence on imported fuel can reduce pressure on the country’s foreign-exchange reserves.
A diversified energy mix can also make Pakistan more resilient to global crises.
Water Storage and Agriculture Need a New National Strategy
Pakistan’s agricultural economy cannot remain dependent on outdated water-management practices.
The country needs to modernise irrigation, reduce water losses, improve canal systems and promote technologies such as drip and sprinkler irrigation where appropriate.
Large water-storage projects have their place, but dams alone cannot solve Pakistan’s water crisis.
Conservation must become equally important.
Farmers should have access to climate-resilient seeds, modern irrigation technologies, weather information and better agricultural extension services.
The objective should be to produce more food with less water.
This is particularly important as climate change threatens both water availability and agricultural productivity.
Governance Will Determine Whether Diplomacy Delivers
Pakistan has strong diplomatic potential, but international influence ultimately rests on domestic strength.
A country struggling with institutional weaknesses, economic uncertainty and inconsistent policies cannot fully capitalise on its geopolitical advantages.
Pakistan therefore needs stronger institutions, transparent governance, effective regulation and predictable economic policies.
The rule of law is not only a constitutional principle. It is also an economic necessity.
Domestic and international investors need confidence that contracts will be respected, disputes will be resolved fairly and government policies will remain stable.
Without these foundations, even the most ambitious international partnerships will produce limited results.
Invest in Pakistan’s Young Population
Pakistan’s greatest long-term resource is its young population.
The country must prepare its youth for an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, digital technology, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and knowledge-based industries.
Education policy should move beyond producing degree holders. It should focus on practical skills, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and critical thinking.
Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, climate science, renewable-energy technology and digital commerce should become increasingly accessible to Pakistani students.
A skilled young population can transform Pakistan’s demographic challenge into an economic advantage.
The Green Dimension of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy
Pakistan’s future diplomacy should also have a stronger environmental dimension.
Climate change does not respect borders. Floods, droughts, air pollution, water scarcity and ecosystem degradation require cooperation among countries.
Pakistan should use multilateral platforms such as the SCO to promote regional cooperation on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, renewable energy and sustainable development.
The country can also position itself as a voice for climate-vulnerable developing nations.
But credibility requires action at home.
Protecting forests, restoring watersheds, improving urban planning, controlling pollution and expanding renewable energy must become central elements of Pakistan’s development strategy.
A Strategic Moment for Pakistan
The SCO Plus Summit should be seen as part of a larger strategic opportunity for Pakistan.
The country has geography, natural resources, a large population, access to the sea and close relationships with major regional powers. What it needs now is the ability to convert these advantages into sustainable economic and diplomatic influence.
The invitation to host the SCO Plus Summit in Islamabad in 2027 can provide another opportunity to showcase Pakistan as a country committed to regional cooperation and dialogue.
But hosting an international summit is not the destination. It is an opportunity to demonstrate what Pakistan can offer the region.
Pakistan should arrive at that moment with a clear agenda: regional trade, water security, climate cooperation, renewable energy, counterterrorism, food security and connectivity.
The country must also recognise that foreign policy and domestic policy are no longer separate worlds.
A strong water system strengthens diplomacy.
A stable economy strengthens foreign policy.
Renewable energy strengthens national security.
Climate resilience strengthens economic stability.
Good governance strengthens international credibility.
The future Pakistan needs cannot be built through diplomatic statements alone.
It requires a combination of strategic diplomacy, economic reform, environmental responsibility, institutional stability and investment in people.
If Pakistan can connect its international partnerships with meaningful domestic reforms, it will be in a much stronger position to protect its water and geopolitical interests while contributing to peace, connectivity and sustainable development across the region.
