SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation)

• Founded 1985, Dhaka; 8 members (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan)
• Goal: regional economic & social cooperation
• Effectively dormant since 2016 — 19th Summit (Islamabad) cancelled after Uri attack; India led boycott
• Structural weakness: bilateral disputes (esp. India-Pakistan) block progress; SAFTA (free trade) underperforms
• Pakistan's stance: wants SAARC revived as platform for regional dialogue

ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization)

• Founded 1985 by Pakistan, Iran, Turkey (successor to RCD-1964); expanded 1992 to 10 members (Central Asian states + Afghanistan)
• Focus: trade, transport, energy connectivity across South-Central-West Asia
• Pakistan sees ECO as gateway to Central Asian markets
• Limited success — poor intra-regional trade (~7-8% of total trade)

SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation)

• Founded 2001 (China, Russia, Central Asian states); Pakistan & India joined as full members 2017
• Focus: security cooperation (counter-terrorism — "three evils": terrorism, separatism, extremism), economic connectivity
• Pakistan values SCO for China-Russia ties & regional security dialogue, though India-Pakistan tensions carry over
• Pakistan hosted SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting (2024) — diplomatic win

Pakistan's Role Across All Three

• Consistent theme: Pakistan pushes connectivity & economic integration; India-Pakistan rivalry is the recurring obstacle (esp. SAARC)
• SCO seen as more promising than SAARC currently due to China's active role

Exam angle