Bombay and Calcutta were more than colonial capitals, they embodied imperial urban planning, economic integration, and cultural hybridity. From segregated ‘white’ and ‘black’ towns to thriving ports, industries, and nationalist thought, these cities reveal how British rule reshaped India’s urban life while leaving enduring legacies still visible today.
Pakistan at the SCO Summit: Strategic Messaging and Diplomatic Wins
The recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit served as a critical platform for Pakistan to advance its strategic interests, navigate complex regional dynamics, and project a coherent foreign policy narrative. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s participation was marked by a series of bilateral engagements and key statements that collectively aimed to reinforce its position as a pivotal player in regional security, connectivity, and counter-terrorism. The outcomes of the summit, including the language of the joint declaration, reveal a concerted effort to align Pakistan’s national concerns with the broader SCO agenda.
Core Plenary Messages
In his address at the plenary session, Prime Minister Sharif delivered several core messages that underscored Pakistan’s key national interests. On the sensitive issue of water, he flagged India’s April attempt to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, urging a structural dialogue on all outstanding disputes under international and bilateral obligations. This move effectively internationalized a bilateral issue within a major multilateral forum, positioning Pakistan as a proponent of treaty compliance and dialogue. Sharif also used the opportunity to highlight the devastating floods in Pakistan, thanking international partners for their support.
On the subject of terrorism, Sharif’s remarks were particularly pointed. He asserted that Pakistan had irrefutable evidence of foreign hands behind recent attacks, specifically citing the March Jaffar Express hijacking and other attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He warned against using terrorism as a political tool and reiterated the immense sacrifices Pakistan has made, citing a loss of over 90,000 lives and an economic cost of approximately $152 billion. The Prime Minister’s speech also addressed regional stability, emphasizing connectivity (with CPEC as a practical SCO demonstration), the need for a stable Afghanistan, and respect for sovereignty. He condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and recent attacks on Iran, aligning Pakistan with the positions of other key SCO members.
Crucial Bilateral Engagements
On the sidelines of the main summit, Prime Minister Sharif engaged in a series of vital bilateral meetings that showcased Pakistan’s diversified diplomatic outreach.
A Concrete Narrative Win on Counter-Terrorism
A significant outcome for Pakistan was the language of the Tianjin Declaration. It explicitly condemned the Jaffar Express hijacking and the Khuzdar school bus bombing, placing these lethal attacks on Pakistani soil in the same category as the Pahalgam attack in IIOJK. This is a concrete, text-level win for Islamabad’s narrative, as it secured an SCO-level condemnation of specific attacks inside Pakistan. This strengthens Islamabad’s case regarding external sponsorship and the need for a collective counter-terrorism response, moving beyond the generic statements of the past. It effectively framed Pakistan not just as a victim of terrorism but as a country whose internal security challenges are a matter of regional concern for the entire SCO family.
The Sum of the Parts
Pakistan’s performance at the SCO summit represents a series of key narrative wins. The issue-linkage on water allowed Pakistan to internationalize India’s IWT move inside a leaders’ forum, positioning itself as dialogue-forward and treaty-compliant. The specific condemnation of the Jaffar Express and Khuzdar attacks provided a powerful counter-terrorism framing, lending credibility to Islamabad’s claims of external sponsorship. Furthermore, the ability to keep CPEC central to the SCO’s connectivity vision, along with visible engagements with a wide range of partners from China and Russia to Turkiye and Iran, showcased a balanced and dynamic foreign policy in a time of regional flux. The summit, therefore, proved to be a successful diplomatic endeavor for Pakistan, solidifying its role as an indispensable member of the SCO.
SAT Commentary
SAT Commentary
SAT Commentaries, a collection of insightful social media threads on current events and social issues, featuring diverse perspectives from various authors.
Recent
After Sheikh Hasina’s Exit, Can India Rebuild Its Strategic Ties with Bangladesh by Pushing Dhaka Towards the Quad?
Sheikh Hasina’s resignation ended India’s golden era of ties with Bangladesh, leaving New Delhi scrambling to counter China’s growing influence. Can Quad engagement offer India a path to rebuild trust and secure the Bay of Bengal?
Between Security and Privacy: Contextualizing Amnesty’s Claims on Pakistan’s Surveillance
Amnesty International’s Shadows of Control paints a bleak picture of Pakistan’s digital surveillance. Yet by sidelining the country’s acute security challenges, dismissing existing legal safeguards, and overlooking its own credibility issues, the report offers a partial and misleading narrative. A more balanced approach requires situating surveillance within Pakistan’s counterterrorism imperatives and recognizing the global double standards at play.
The End of Liberal Internationalism? Trump’s New Realism
Donald Trump’s address to the UN General Assembly marked a sharp break from America’s seven-decade stewardship of the liberal international order. Rooted in realist principles, his speech rejected multilateralism, attacked the UN’s legitimacy, and reframed alliances as transactional bargains. From immigration and climate policy to NATO and Middle East conflicts, Trump outlined a vision of unilateral power and national sovereignty that directly challenges the institutional foundations of global governance.
Colonial Legacies of Bombay and Calcutta
Bombay and Calcutta were more than colonial capitals, they embodied imperial urban planning, economic integration, and cultural hybridity. From segregated ‘white’ and ‘black’ towns to thriving ports, industries, and nationalist thought, these cities reveal how British rule reshaped India’s urban life while leaving enduring legacies still visible today.
The Many Faces of Activism: Symbolism, Lawfare, and Separatist Politics
Mahrang Baloch is hailed as a human rights defender, yet her rhetoric, symbolism, and political positioning reveal alignment with separatist objectives. Her activism reflects the dynamics of narrative warfare, where political fronts provide legitimacy to armed insurgencies.