MULTIPOLARITY is clearly the new buzzword in geopolitics and geo-economics as states within the Global South seek an alternative path to development, one not dictated by the West. This was perhaps the biggest takeaway from the BRICS summit that just concluded in Johannesburg. Original members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa welcomed six new entrants to the club, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE and Egypt. The expansion brings Muslim and Arab voices to the bloc, and is a strong signal that the old international order — led by the US and Europe — that has been in vogue since World War II is undergoing seismic changes. Xi Jinping called the expansion “historic”, while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa remarked that BRICS sought to create a world that is “fair … just … [and] also inclusive and prosperous”. The old order, dominated by the Global North, has been anything but just and inclusive.

The first signs that the ancien regime of global politics was crumbling came with the Ukraine war. Though many in the Global South did not support Russia’s invasion, they were less than enthusiastic about the West’s calls to isolate Moscow, and bring Russia to its knees. The latest expansion to BRICS is only a continuation of this global trend. For example, global hydrocarbon powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sent an unsubtle message to their friends in Washington, London and Brussels that they have other economic, strategic and military options. Considering that the Arab sheikhdoms, for most of their history, have marched in lockstep with the US-led West, these developments are quite significant. Moreover Iran, long a pariah in the West in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution, will also be pleased that the American efforts to isolate it in the global arena have failed, as the Global South wants to do business with Tehran. This brings us to the question: what about Pakistan’s prospects of joining the BRICS bandwagon? With the expansion, five of Pakistan’s regional neighbours are part of the grouping. BRICS, much like SCO, which this country has joined, offers immense opportunities on a global scale. All this makes a logical case for Pakistan applying to the bloc. India may create hurdles, but our relations with China and Saudi Arabia can be leveraged to support membership — that is, if we can address our internal dissonance.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2023