Pakistan believes in Regional cooperation and always played a critical role for the development, peace and stability of Region. However, Pakistan has been mired in a never-ending cycle of insecurity for decades, caught between the enduring threat of terrorism within its borders and antagonistic regional forces especially India. Even while the state has achieved significant progress against militancy, particularly after momentous achievements of Operation Zarb-e-Azb in 2014 and operation Radd-ul-Fasaad in 2017, lasting peace and stability are still elusive.
Hopefully, the ongoing operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos would be effective to counter terrorism, mitigating internal security concerns, addressing cyber warfare regional tensions and enhanced border security. Active participation in regional organizations such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) bolsters excellent diplomacy but also strategically imperative for Pakistan.
Pakistan remains among the nations most affected by terrorism. Pakistan ranked second in the world according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with over 1099 people killed in terrorist attacks in 2024. In many areas, especially near the porous Afghan border, extremist organizations such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, IS-K group and Baloch Insurgent groups are still active. A complete and enduring peace takes more than just kinetic power, even while military operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad disrupted numerous extremist networks. Better governance, regional cooperation, and socioeconomic development must all be coordinated.
Regarding international policy, Pakistan’s ties with its major neighbors are still strained. A significant freeze in relations with India has resulted from the long-standing Kashmir dispute, especially since Article 370 was repealed in 2019. Trust has never been lower, trade is still halted, and diplomatic channels have deteriorated. Moreover, the incident of Pahalgam resulted in four day war with arch rival India. Further, India has not stopped its nefarious machinations as Fitna-ul-Hindustan forces are fueling the sub-nationalist extremist elements to commit terrorist activities both on the physical and digital fronts. On the western fronts, relations with Afghanistan are still precarious, though the positive reciprocity of deputing formal Ambassadors has been agreed upon by the Governments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. The number of cross-border assaults in Pakistan has increased since the Taliban took back power in 2021, and tensions between the two countries have increased due to concerns over border security and the presence of militant sanctuaries.
The missing component in this high-risk regional setting has been cooperation. An organization that once held promise for promoting peace and unity, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), has been in a standstill since 2014. The organization is deadlocked and mostly irrelevant due to the rivalry between India and Pakistan. However, SAARC was established to tackle issues like underdevelopment, trade deficits, poverty, and terrorism, all of which are more urgent now than ever. Notwithstanding, SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism is a crucial forum for legal cooperation and extradition process that need to be harnessed for better intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism cooperation.
Other regional platforms are more promising where SAARC has fallen short. Pakistan joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a full member in 2017. The SCO is a new organization that prioritizes economic integration, counterterrorism, and regional security. Moreover, its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) encourages member governments to cooperate against extremism and share intelligence. Such strategies are crucial in a volatile region like South and Central Asia. Furthermore, if not as partners, then at least as stakeholders in regional peace, the SCO provides a unique multilateral forum in which India and Pakistan can engage.
The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which connects Pakistan to Iran, Turkey, and Central Asia, is another underdeveloped platform. The ECO places a high priority on energy cooperation and economic connectivity. Only about 8% of Pakistan’s entire foreign commerce in 2023 was with ECO nations, a concerning percentage, requiring more economic cooperation within the ECO region. In addition to boosting the economy, increasing regional trade creates long-term stakes in peace, which fortifies internal security and governance.
Moreover, bolstering regional development projects such as CPEC under China’s BRI will improve means of livelihood and deradicalization efforts, generates economic opportunities in insurgency prone areas, undercutting the appeal of terrorists and ethno-nationalist groups through improving Governance.
Regional organizations are criticized for lacking the necessary resources or for reacting slowly to pressing emergencies. There is some truth to such criticism. Such groups are frequently limited in their efficacy by political disputes, inadequate enforcement mechanisms, and conflicting national interests. However, these Regional Organizations forum supports normalizing communication, fostering international collaboration and establishing circumstances that deter unilateral aggression. It is impossible to attain security in a world that is becoming more interconnected by the day.
Pakistan must implement internal reforms at home to support regional initiatives. Without effective government, counterterrorism cannot be successful. Institutions must be strengthened, the criminal justice system must be reformed, and money must be spent on jobs and education, especially in areas that are vulnerable to extremism. There is less room for radical narratives when people have faith in the government. Additionally, states are better prepared to handle transnational threats when they cooperate. Moreover, adaptation of Financial Action Task force (FATF) influenced policies would be helpful in choking the channels of terrorist financing to ethno-national separatist and terrorist organizations.
Notwithstanding, beyond transient military triumphs, robust regional collaboration is essential to Pakistan’s pursuit of enduring security in an increasingly precarious regional security milieu. Undoubtedly, Kinetic operations have reduced terrorism, but sustained peace requires concerted measures that include effective disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), Deradicalization, intelligence sharing, economic integration, role of civilian society organizations, diplomatic engagement through organizations like as SAARC, SCO and ECO.
Additionally, SAARC must be revitalized in spite of Indo-Pak conflict. Pakistan has to invest in socioeconomic development, improve governance, and use inclusive development to prevent radicalism. Pakistan’s geopolitical standing will be strengthened and transnational threats will be lessened by a strategic realignment toward multilateralism, institutional reform, and regional interdependence. In the absence of such comprehensive and holistic regional engagement, long-term security will remain a ever-receding horizon.
