Regional cooperation on counterterrorism and counter violence is very important,” said Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, while highlighting the pressing need for enhanced regional cooperation in counterterrorism efforts ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Islamabad, scheduled for October 15-16. The summit’s anticipation, however, has been overshadowed by a troubling surge in militant violence this month.Just days before the summit, a brutal attack in Balochistan claimed the lives of 20 miners and left seven others injured. Armed militants stormed a coal mine in the province’s Dukki district, gathering workers before mercilessly opening fire. No group has claimed responsibility, but Balochistan, long a hub for insurgent movements like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), remains rife with unrest.Adding to the security concerns, just three days before this incident, a suicide bombing at the Karachi airport killed two Chinese engineers. The BLA took responsibility for that attack as well, raising further alarm about the group’s growing momentum. Pakistan has pointed fingers at neighboring Afghanistan, accusing it of sheltering these militant factions, a claim the Taliban administration denies.
With two major terror attacks in less than a week, the SCO Summit, meant to foster regional cooperation on counter-terrorism as the key agenda, faced the stark reality of the region’s deep-seated security challenges. The recent terrorist attack targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan marks the second such incident in seven months, raising renewed concerns over the country’s security situation. On March 26, five Chinese citizens and their Pakistani driver were killed in a suicide bombing at the Dasu hydropower project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Despite Pakistani authorities arresting 11 Islamist militants linked to the March attack, the latest incident suggests a persistent security challenge.This latest assault comes just months after Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar’s visit to Beijing, during which Pakistan pledged to bring the perpetrators of the March attack to justice and enhance security measures for Chinese nationals and projects. However, terrorist outfits continue to pose a significant threat to CPEC infrastructure.
As terrorist threats increasingly spill across borders and reverberate globally, the need for deeper cooperation among SCO members has become paramount. These drills are aimed not only at boosting individual nations’ anti-terrorism capabilities but also at fostering interoperability among the participants—an essential element in a world where terrorism knows no boundaries.At the heart of the SCO’s security efforts is the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which has been instrumental in coordinating defense and security initiatives across the member states. The organization itself has grown into one of the largest trans-regional entities, focusing heavily on security-related cooperation. This joint exercise underscored the SCO’s long-standing history of collaboration on counter-terrorism, but, with all members engaged, the organization demonstrated its evolving commitment to facing the rising tide of global terrorism with collective force. As threats evolve, so must the strategies – and the “Interaction-2024” drill represented a crucial step towards joint-counter-terrorism drive of the SCO.
To address the challenges, the SCO must prioritize the root causes of terrorism: poverty, lack of education, ideological extremism, and external interference. Policies targeting these issues should form the backbone of the summit’s agenda, reinforcing the founding goals of the SCO. Established in 2001 by China, Russia, and Central Asian nations, the SCO focuses on countering terrorism, fundamentalism, and separatism, with its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) playing a crucial role in coordinating counterterrorism efforts and sharing intelligence among member states.Pakistan, situated at the heart of strategic initiatives like China’s Belt and Road, holds particular significance in the fight against terrorism. The 24th SCO meeting in Astana had already highlighted the urgency of enhancing security amid rising global tensions. As the SCO convenes in Islamabad, counter-terrorism will undoubtedly remain at the forefront, a necessary focus for ensuring stability in a world increasingly marked by conflict and chaos. The task now is turning these discussions into actionable, coordinated efforts that reshape the region’s security landscape.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has, over its 23-year existence, grown into a sprawling entity, uniting 26 nations and standing as the largest regional cooperation group by population and territorial reach. Yet, despite this impressive footprint, its mechanisms still remain rather inadequate to confront the evolving threats of cross-border terrorism. Quick and efficient intelligence sharing is critical, but it’s not happening with the speed required. Military coordination across borders remains haphazard at best, a flaw that could be remedied through joint training exercises. And then there’s the issue of resources.China and Russia, two dominant SCO members, possess cutting-edge technology, but others lag far behind.
Without narrowing this technological divide, the organization’s ambitious policies on counter-terrorism risk becoming little more than theoretical musings. Practical, coordinated actions will remain elusive if some nations are sprinting ahead while others crawl.As the world confronts growing instability, the “Shanghai Spirit” and the very essence of the SCO seem more relevant than ever. But relevance must translate into action. The Islamabadgathering will focus on one of the most pressing issues of our time: combating cross-border terrorism. Isolating nations that harbor terrorists is vital, as is bolstering the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS). The SCO’s influence may be growing, but its vitality hinges on overcoming internal divides and ensuring every member can equally contribute to, and benefit from, a unified fight against terrorism. The stakes are high – and the window for decisive action is narrowing.
—The writer is political analyst, based in Karachi.
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