When India and Pakistan joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2017, questions abounded about how the two governments could cooperate in the organization while they had so many political and security issues between them. There have been no significant issues between the two that has interfered with their participation in the SCO since then, but the accompanying excerpted articles offer an example of how their participation in the organization is vastly different.
The article from Pakistan-based independent English-language newspaper Dawn reports on a recent joint military exercise of units from China and Pakistan. The article mentions that it “was the first military exercise conducted in Pakistan” with the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure and that it “was conducted in two stages.” It appears that the first stage took place with participants carrying out training on their own in July, while the second stage involved Pakistan and China from 21 September to 4 October. This is not the first time that the Chinese government carried out an exercise under the auspices of the SCO and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), but not with all member states of the organization. RATS is headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and allows member states to share intelligence on security threats.
The article from India-based independent English-language news website The Print reports on how the Indian government “will send a three-member team to Pakistan” for the exercise. The article notes that India will “not be participating” in the exercise, but “will be involved in the process as an “observer” in “gathering intelligence about counterterrorism measures” that the SCO is planning. The article also notes this is the first SCO event to take place since “the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan” and that “India is keen on participating in it despite its tensions with Pakistan.” It is worth remembering that the Indian government chose not to send participants to the SCO exercise “Kavkaz-2020” last year because of China and Pakistan’s involvement, although it did send around 200 personnel to take part in the SCO exercise “Peace Mission 2021” in September of this year. Ultimately, the recent SCO RATS exercise provides a look at how Pakistan and India continue to be involved in the SCO without any major issues, but that India limits its participation.
India will “not be participating” in any kind of physical exercise, it will be involved in the process as an “observer” in “gathering intelligence about counterterrorism measures” that the SCO is planning to lay out.
Source: “Anti-terrorist exercise with Chinese troops concludes,” Dawn (independent English-language newspaper from Pakistan), 5 October 2021.https://www.dawn.com/news/1650190
The closing ceremony of the two week long Joint Anti-Terrorist Exercise 2021 was held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Pabbi, where the troops from China and Pakistani armed forces took part in the drill.
This was the first military exercise conducted in Pakistan under the ambit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Regional Anti Terrorism Structure…
The exercise was conducted in two stages. The stage one of the training was conducted in respective SCO member countries from July 26 to 31, while the stage two was conducted in Pakistan from Sept 21 to Oct 4…
During the training, the troops from China and Pakistan extensively practiced various drills as part of the joint counterterrorism operations from planning to conduct, including cordon and search, compound clearance, close quarter battle, rappelling from helicopter, explosive handling and medical evacuation.
Source: Nayanima Basu and Snehesh Alex Philip, “Indian team to visit Pakistan this week for SCO anti-terror exercise, but only as ‘observers’,” The Print (an independent English-language news website from India), 1 October 2021. https://theprint.in/defence/indian-team-to-visit-pakistanthis-week-for-sco-anti-terror-exercise-but-only-as-observers/743276/
India will send a three-member team to Pakistan for an anti-terror exercise under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) framework…
Sources told The Print that while India will “not be participating” in any kind of physical exercise, it will be involved in the process as an “observer” in “gathering intelligence about counterterrorism measures” that the SCO is planning to lay out.
…According to sources, while no representatives from the Indian armed forces will participate in this, a three-member team from the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) could be sent.
…Since this is the first time the SCO anti-terror exercise is taking place post the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, India is keen on participating in it despite its tensions with Pakistan, sources said.
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