By Sheikh J. Hussain
London
Jawadkhayal@icloud.com
Published By:ANI News Agency
A defining moment unfolded recently at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Leaders of the world’s most influential nations China and Russia were present. Turkey’s leadership was there too. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sat among them not as a guest but as an equal. And India was there as well. The most significant announcement was yet to come. Pakistan has been entrusted with the chairmanship of the SCO and the next great summit will be held in Islamabad. This is far more than a diplomatic courtesy. It is clear and undeniable proof that Pakistan has earned profound global respect and is taking its rightful place on the world stage.
The SCO is no ordinary forum. It brings together ten nations China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan representing over half the world’s population, vast territories, immense natural resources and significant military strength. What truly sets it apart is its guiding principle. All members decide collectively. No one dictates from afar. No one takes orders from across an ocean. For decades, major decisions affecting our region were made thousands of miles away, in capitals that had no real understanding of our realities. That era is fading. A new centre of global gravity is rising in Asia and Pakistan has been chosen to lead it. This is not a small thing. It means that from this day forward, the most important decisions for our part of the world will be made right here by us and for us.
It is worth recalling that not long ago, powerful voices tried to paint Pakistan as isolated, marginalised and alone. They worked day and night to build a narrative that Pakistan had no friends, no influence and no future. They spoke as if the country could be pushed off the map and no one would notice. Today, that narrative lies in complete ruins. The country they tried to push to the sidelines now sits among the world’s most powerful nations as an equal partner. The capital they said was unimportant will welcome heads of state from across the continent. Those who sought to isolate Pakistan are now watching it take the lead. This is not a defeat for anyone. It is a victory for truth and for the reality of Pakistan’s growing global standing. It proves that no matter how hard others try to silence you, your true worth will eventually be recognised by the world.
This respect was earned through hard work, patience and unshakeable principle. It was not given as a gift. One of the clearest demonstrations of this came when Pakistan secured a landmark legal victory in the Indus Waters Treaty dispute at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. After years of complex legal proceedings, the court ruleddecisively in Pakistan’s favour, upholding the treaty’s sanctity and rejecting any unilateral attempt to alter or suspend it. This was not just a legal win. It was proof to the entire world that Pakistan knows how to stand up for its rights not through shouting or threats, but through preparation, through discipline and through faith in international law. When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the SCO and stated clearly that water is the region’s lifeline and must never be weaponised, he spoke not from anger but from proven strength.
He reminded the gathering that no nation can claim the right to cut off the flow of survival to another. His words carried weight because they were backed by justice and they were heard in every capital of the world.
Chairing the SCO carries great responsibility and great honour. Over the coming year, Pakistan will set the organisation’s agenda across trade, security, energy and connectivity. Lahore has also been named SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital, highlighting Pakistan’s centuries-old heritage and civilisational legacy. When leaders arrive in Islamabad, they will see a nation that has risen above its challenges. They will see hospitality, capability and quiet dignity. Pakistan will work to strengthen regional trade routes, promote energy cooperation and advance shared security proving that it leads with fairness, not dominance. It will show the world that a nation can be strong without being arrogant and respected without being aggressive.
Pakistan has faced immense challenges economic hardship, political uncertainty and external pressure. Yet it has never broken. It has continued forward, often quietly, but always with dignity. This moment of leadership is the reward for that resilience. It is earned through the sacrifices of its people, the courage of its institutions and the clarity of its foreign policy. Every Pakistani can hold their head a little higher today not out of pride alone but out of the knowledge that our country has proven its worth on the highest stage of all.
The world is changing. Old alliances are shifting. New partnerships are forming based on equality, not domination. In this new landscape, Pakistan is no longer on the outside looking in. It stands at the centre, helping shape the future. For every Pakistani, this is a moment of quiet pride not arrogance, but a deep sense of what can be achieved through unity and unwavering principle. The era of isolation is over. The era of leadership has begun. The world is watching and Pakistan is ready.
