Mushahid Hussain becomes first Pakistani to address BRICS forum, slams Western role in Gaza

Senator calls for Pakistan's inclusion in BRICS, citing Islamabad's desire to join the emerging global order.

VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA:

Senator Mushahid Hussain became the first Pakistani to address the International BRICS Forum, held in Vladivostok and organised by Russia's United Russia Party.

Mushahid, Co-Chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) and head of two Pakistani think tanks called for Pakistan's inclusion in BRICS, citing a desire to join the emerging global order.

BRICS is a group of five major emerging economies including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa which aims to foster economic cooperation, development, and political dialogue among its member countries.

Founded in 2006, the grouping was originally known as BRIC and comprised Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined in 2010, and the grouping came to be known as BRICS.

In January 2024, the bloc expanded its membership to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The bloc together represents nearly half of the world's population and a significant portion of global GDP.

Yesterday, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the country will soon start the formal process to join the the BRICS organisation,

More than 40 other countries including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in joining the forum.

Earlier this month Russia had welcomed Turkey's reported desire to become part of the BRICS group of nations, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the subject would be on the agenda of the organisation's next summit.

Mushahid's address

In his keynote speech, Mushahid criticised the declining influence of the Western world order, emphasising the role of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in shaping a new international framework based on the UN Charter and peaceful coexistence.

He identified three key trends: democratizing international relations through equality and the rule of law, demilitarizing global interactions to avoid Cold War tensions, and depolarizing the financial system to reduce the political power of the US dollar.

Mushahid lauded President Putin's Eurasian Security proposal and President Xi Jinping's Global Security Initiative. He also condemned Western support for Israel, labelling it a contributor to the Gaza conflict, which he termed a "crime against humanity."

The forum, attended by representatives from 29 countries, highlighted BRICS' significant global influence, encompassing nearly half the world's population and substantial portions of global GDP and energy resources.

Earlier this year on February 18, Senate Defence Committee Chairman Senator Hussain expressed the hope that Pakistan would join BRICS with the cooperation of Russia, the current year’s chair of the world’s five most important developing countries.