Daily Times

A lot has changed in the international order since four emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India and China – joined hands to form BRIC in 2006. As more and more countries rushed to be a part of a counterbalance intergovernmental organisation, Pakistan also decided to drop its name in the hat, its hopes further emboldened by backing from Russia and China in addition to favourable swirling rumours from across the border.

Sadly, for Pakistan and its leadership eyeing the growing economic and diplomatic influence of the bloc to help push its prospects in the right direction, New Delhi once again decided to act on a nefarious agenda to isolate a sovereign country to stroke its petty ego.

The coming months should be taken as a test of Pakistani diplomats’ nerves as they paint striking parallels between India’s veto at Kazan (perfectly resonating with a similar saga in the membership campaign of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)) and Pakistan’s open-armed invitation to the recently-concluded SCO summit in Islamabad.

Nevertheless, this blatant refusal to collaborate with its immediate neighbours is bound to cast India in a deleterious role for an organisation that publicly seeks to unite the Global South. At a time when every country counts and the Western lobby still does not seem prepared for a new status quo, shouldn’t the founding members have paid attention to the bigger picture instead of harping on and on about “consensus?”

Of course, BRICS Plus, carrying the imprint of the Global South could truly deliver on their pledge to march towards modernisation, hand in hand, if it remains open and opposed exclusion; something brilliantly stated by China’s President Xi Jinping.

Hopefully, the next summit of the bloc members would usher in a new chapter in the promising tale wherein every country head feels the courage to take a step away from petty grievances and hawkish sentiments to fully capitalise on the fast-blowing winds of change. After all, the opportunity to alter the course of history and reverse centuries of Western monopoly would not knock twice. *