Abhishek G BhayaAs tensions flare once again between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan, the spotlight has turned to the role of multilateral regional forums like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in conflict mediation.
The SCO is the only functioning multilateral platform that includes both countries—alongside major regional powers like China and Russia.
While the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) remains effectively paralysed, precisely due to the disagreements between India and Pakistan, analysts and diplomats are assessing whether the SCO can step up as a forum for de-escalation.
Former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Djoomart Otorbaev, in an exclusive interview, expressed cautious optimism that the SCO could evolve into a credible platform for dialogue and de-escalation — provided it strengthens its diplomatic mechanisms.
“I definitely think that SCO member countries are already in active dialogue with both partners – India and Pakistan,” Otorbaev told TRT World over a phone call from Bishkek.
“However, the matter of the debate and discussion is quite sensitive, so probably things are moving along diplomatic lines without exposure to open sources. And I believe that this diplomatic approach will bring some results,” he said.
India and Pakistan were inducted as full members of the SCO in 2017, in a rare moment of optimism for regional cooperation. Their simultaneous inclusion was widely seen as a symbolic gesture of shared commitment to multilateralism and conflict resolution within the Eurasian bloc.
Although the organisation primarily focuses on security cooperation, counterterrorism, and economic collaboration among Eurasian countries, the current crisis marks one of the first major military tensions between two member states since their accession.
“This conflict clearly shows that specific mechanisms should be created and polished in order to have in place [a] mechanism on how to resolve such difficult situations,” Otorbaev noted, urging the SCO to develop institutional capacity for conflict resolution among members.
The SCO currently includes 10 member states: China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. In addition, it has two observer states—Afghanistan and Mongolia—and 14 dialogue partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates.
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Russia and China’s role crucial
Commenting on the simultaneous diplomatic engagements of Russia and China — both founding members of the SCO and permanent members of the UN Security Council — Otorbaev highlighted the importance of their influence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for the start of a four-day visit during which he will attend Russia’s military parade commemorating the anniversary of the end of World War II, known in Russia as Victory Day.
Xi's visit comes amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Both Russia and China have called for both countries to show restraint.
During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi emphasised that the deepening ties between China and Russia have brought "positive energy" to a world in turmoil.
Otorbaev suggested that during Xi’s meeting with Putin in Moscow, “the issue of tensions between the two SCO members [India and Pakistan] was almost certainly discussed.”
He also pointed out that China and Russia possess “many different mechanisms on how to cooperate and solve difficult situations,” adding that they could play an important role in defusing tensions between the two South Asian neighbours.
Referencing the recent BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting in Brazil, Otorbaev cited the joint support for India and Brazil to become permanent members of the UN Security Council — including backing from China — as an example of constructive multilateral diplomacy.
“Building trust between powerful countries like China, India, and Russia is very important on different platforms,” he said.
Pakistan vows to retaliate after India launched deadly missile and drone strikes across the country over the past two days.
SCO seen as arbiter
Otorbaev argued that the very fact that India and Pakistan joined the SCO simultaneously was a significant symbolic step: “This significant step can be interpreted [to mean] that they are willing to see in the face of SCO some kind of arbiter… a potential facilitator of building trust between these two countries.”
He also revealed that Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov had recently issued a statement calling for both countries to move toward negotiations, underscoring Central Asia’s preference for peaceful resolutions. “Yes, our country is not as powerful as perhaps some others, but our voice is heard,” Otorbaev said.
“Our governments clearly stated that India and Pakistan have to resolve the disagreements in peaceful ways.”
Adding a sharper perspective to the discourse, Hussein Askary, Vice-Chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, criticised both India and Pakistan for straying from the founding principles of the SCO.
“It is sad that two new members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, India and Pakistan, do not understand what the core foundational principles of the SCO are: jointly combatting terrorism, separatism, and extremism,” Askary wrote in a LinkedIn post.
“Instead of achieving mutual peace and security through diplomacy and cooperation, they allow ulterior geopolitical goals and outdated racial and religious zeal to take over.”
Askary implied that external geopolitical forces—particularly from the West—may be stoking tensions between India and Pakistan. Referring to what he called "Londonistan," a term often used to critique perceived British or Western meddling in post-colonial affairs, he stated: “I am afraid Londonistan ignited this conflict now exactly as London filled the keg with gunpowder in 1947.”
Askary’s comparison evokes the legacy of Britain’s role in the partition of India and the subsequent Kashmir dispute.
He further warned that “if the escalation continues, China might get pulled into it involuntarily,” hinting at broader regional and geopolitical ramifications.
Askary made a passionate plea to both India and Pakistan: “Please, look at the map where in the world you are (hint: Asia), and go back to the SCO to resolve this serious crisis! Please!”
A call for dialogue
While Otorbaev refrained from offering direct political advice, he echoed the call for peaceful diplomacy.
“People across the world desire peace, not war,” he said. “India and Pakistan are both nuclear-armed and making significant economic progress. Escalating this conflict would serve no one’s interest — and there is simply no justification for letting it spiral into something more dangerous.”
The views expressed by Otorbaev and Askary underline the growing expectation that regional mechanisms like the SCO must not remain passive amid crises between member states — especially when those conflicts risk undermining the very foundation of regional peace and cooperation.
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