By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has taken over the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, a move that officials said would bolster regional efforts to combat terrorism amid Islamabad’s ongoing struggles with insurgencies on its borders.
The Foreign Office announced the development on Wednesday, describing it as a sign of the confidence SCO member states have in Pakistan’s contributions to peace and security. The SCO-RATS, established in 2002 and based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, coordinates actions among the alliance’s members to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism.
“In its capacity as the chair of SCO-RATS, Pakistan will work toward fostering regional cooperation against terrorism, in line with shared priorities, guided by the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, equality and shared responsibility,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
As chair, Pakistan plans to host events focused on areas including cyber counterterrorism, information operations, border security, countering terrorist financing and capacity-building, the statement added.
The announcement comes as Pakistan contends with militant violence in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and southwestern Balochistan, where separatist groups seek independence. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan government of failing to act against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants operating from Afghan territory. Pakistan also alleges that India arms and funds insurgents in Balochistan, while New Delhi rejects those claims.
Pakistan has long highlighted its heavy toll from militancy, with officials saying the country has lost 90,000 lives in attacks over the past two decades. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said earlier this month that terrorism has inflicted economic losses of $152 billion.
“As a frontline state in combating terrorism, Pakistan continues to make unparalleled sacrifices to ensure safety and security not only of its own people but the region and beyond,” the Foreign Office statement said. “Pakistan will continue to work with international and regional partners to advance collective efforts against terrorism, in line with the principles of the SCO, international law and the United Nations Charter.”
The chairmanship follows the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit in Tianjin, China, earlier this month, where Sharif raised concerns over the Indus Waters Treaty. The summit’s joint declaration condemned terrorist attacks on the Jaffar Express and in Khuzdar, Balochistan.
Pakistan’s new SCO role aligns with its growing international responsibilities in counterterrorism. In June, Islamabad was appointed vice chair of the U.N. Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee, which oversees implementation of Resolution 1373 aimed at strengthening countries’ abilities to fight terrorism. Pakistan’s U.N. mission described the appointment as a “significant diplomatic development.”
Pakistan is also serving as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2025-26 term, with duties including counterterrorism matters.
The Foreign Office emphasized that chairing SCO-RATS reflects the alliance’s trust in Pakistan as a key player in regional stability.
Separately on Wednesday, Pakistan established a National Committee on Narrative Building to counter terrorism and extremism through media and cyber channels. The 20-member body, led by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, includes the information and broadcasting secretary, provincial information ministers, the chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, and representatives from the Inter-Services Intelligence and Inter-Services Public Relations.
A notification from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the committee was formed based on minutes from a June 2024 Apex Committee meeting on revising the National Action Plan.
“The ‘National Committee on Narrative Building’ is hereby constituted on points related to information operation, formulation, dissemination, propagation and evaluation of [the] national narrative against the spread of terrorism [or] extremism through media, communication and cyber networks for smooth implementation of Revised National Action Plan 2021,” the notification read.
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