Pakistan's BRICS Membership Hopes Dashed As India Pushed For 'Consensus' In Expansion Of Bloc

Pakistan's attempt to join BRICS hit a roadblock when it was not named as a partner country in the group’s expansion.

India’s opposition is seen as a key reason for Pakistan’s exclusion from the emerging collective representing the Global South.

India, a founding member alongside Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa, has reportedly taken a firm stand against Pakistan’s inclusion in the bloc.

Since BRICS operates on a consensus basis for admitting new members, India's stance could effectively block Pakistan’s entry into the bloc, despite the support of some founding nations like Russia and China.

Pakistan’s leadership had been optimistic that its close ties with these countries might help secure membership, but India’s apparent virtual veto (breaking the consensus) dashed those hopes.

By seeking BRICS membership, Pakistan aimed to align with powerful global economies and elevate its standing within the Global South.

Many in Pakistan believed that joining BRICS could offer significant economic and diplomatic advantages.

However, given the strained ties with India over the past five years, it was unlikely that New Delhi would support Pakistan’s inclusion.

During his remarks at the Closed Plenary of the 16th BRICS Summit in Russia's Kazan on Wednesday (23 October), Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India's support for inclusion of new countries into the bloc.

However, he added that this process should happen only through the consensus and that the views of the BRICS founding members should be respected.

"India is ready to welcome new countries into BRICS as Partner Countries. In this regard all decisions should be taken by consensus, and the views of BRICS founding members should be respected. The Guiding principles , standards, criteria and procedures adopted during the Johannesburg summit, should be complied with by all members and partner countries," he said.

According to the bloc's 'Standards and Criteria for BRICS membership expansion' which were accepted during the 2023 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, a new BRICS member state should have "diplomatic and friendly relations with all existing BRICS member states", and that the BRICS Leaders will decide on BRICS membership expansion on the basis of "full consultation and consensus".

For a long time, Pakistan asserted that India would not succeed in isolating it on the global stage.

Senior Pakistani diplomats engaged in diplomatic efforts across various capitals to gather support for their BRICS candidacy, aiming to counter any obstacles posed by India.

BRICS initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, but has expanded to include nations like Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

Since Pakistan applied for membership in August of last year, countries such as Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia have also formally submitted applications, with others expressing interest.

“We believe that by joining BRICS, Pakistan can play an important role in furthering international cooperation and revitalising inclusive multilateralism. We also hope that BRICS will move forward on Pakistan’s request in line with its commitment to inclusive multilateralism,“ Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson in Islamabad Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had said, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.

During a visit to Islamabad last month, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk held discussions with Pakistani leaders, including Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, expressing Moscow’s support for Pakistan’s inclusion in BRICS.

This raised speculation that India might reconsider its opposition due to Russia’s stance.

However, it appears that India's opposition to Pakistan's inclusion prevailed in the BRICS expansion decision.

The BRICS has added 13 new partner countries including  Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Last year, BRICS expanded by admitting Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, evolving into what is now known as BRICS Plus.

Pakistan’s application coincided with BRICS gaining prominence as a voice for the Global South.

India’s reluctance to engage with Pakistan, alongside Prime Minister Modi’s presence at the BRICS summit in Kazan, ensured Pakistan’s exclusion.

The BRICS members encompass about 30 per cent of the world's land surface, around 30 per cent of global GDP and 45 per cent of the global population, making its membership highly desirable for nations looking to align with influential economies.

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