THE SCO’s two-day summit, which concluded in the Chinese city of Tianjin on Monday, offered a glimpse into a more multilateral world; where sovereign nations can come together as equals, breaking away from the West-led, Eurocentric model that has prevailed since the end of World War II, and which is currently under severe strain.

It also offered a forum where bilateral disputes and diverging viewpoints can be addressed and accommodated through a multilateral lens. For example, the Tianjin Declaration condemned the terrorist attacks targeting the Jaffar Express and in Khuzdar, along with the Pahalgam episode, signalling that condemnation of militancy should not be selective, and terrorism in all its forms should be shunned.

This is also a validation of Pakistan’s narrative, as this country has been denouncing the Pahalgam attack from the beginning, while also calling for hostile foreign actors to desist from supporting terrorist violence within its borders. It also suggests that certain states’ efforts to isolate Pakistan internationally have failed.

Additionally, the declaration called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza while highlighting the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in the besieged Strip and denouncing the US-Israel aggression against Iran.

The fact is that any emerging multilateral order must be based on justice and international law. All those who violate these basic principles must be censured, unlike the present system, where perceived enemies face the full force of the law, as well as military aggression, while friends literally get away with murder. Israel’s ongoing genocide in the occupied territories is the most glaring example of this hypocrisy.

The West, primarily the US and its European/Nato allies, are highly suspicious of groupings such as the SCO and Brics, mainly because they challenge their entrenched hegemony on world affairs. Moreover, Western states are loath to see their ‘foes’ such as Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian being accorded full protocol. They should remember that many of them treat Benjamin Netanyahu with even more reverence despite his criminal acts. Russia and China, which are currently leading the push towards a more multilateral global order, may not be perfect examples to emulate. But unlike the West, they are seen to support a more equitable world system, where the Global South has a voice.

Countries like Pakistan must take full advantage of the emerging regional and global formations. However, one set of global hegemons must not be replaced by another. Rather, a just new order is required where the social, economic and political rights of all states are respected. The future need not be one of confrontation between SCO/BRICS and the Western bloc, but of cooperation, where the path to progress has no strings attached.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2025