Pakistan's Brics bid stalls as India blocks consensus for third year
Pakistan remains outside the Brics bloc three years after first applying for membership, with India's opposition continuing to block the consensus required for admission. The 18th Brics Summit, now underway in New Delhi, includes all 11 member nations, but Islamabad's absence underscores the diplomatic impasse that has kept South Asia's second-largest economy on the sidelines.
Pakistan submitted its application in August 2023, seeing strategic and economic value in a grouping that now represents more than 40 per cent of the world's population and nearly a quarter of global GDP. Despite public backing from both China and Russia, the application has stalled because Brics expansion requires unanimous consent from existing members, giving India effective veto power over its neighbour's bid.
Why did Pakistan apply to join Brics?
The Brics grouping began in 2001 when Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC to describe Brazil, Russia, India and China as emerging economic powers. The countries formalised the grouping in 2009, driven by a shared view that international institutions were overly dominated by Western powers and had stopped serving developing nations effectively.
South Africa joined in 2011, followed by Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in 2024, with Indonesia entering in 2025. Pakistan applied in August 2023 as the bloc prepared to admit new members, but failed to secure the required consensus.
For Islamabad, membership carries significant weight. Brics members account for a substantial share of global oil and food production, and the bloc offers access to development finance, trade opportunities and political consultations outside traditional Western-led institutions.
What is India's position on Pakistan's Brics membership?
India has consistently opposed Pakistan's application, citing concerns about cross-border terrorism. New Delhi's position hardened after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, which India blamed on terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil, prompting Operation Sindoor against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Because Brics operates on consensus, India's objection is sufficient to block Pakistan's entry regardless of support from other members. Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk publicly backed Pakistan's inclusion in September 2024, and China has also voiced support, but neither has been able to overcome India's resistance.
How has Pakistan responded to the setback?
Pakistan's Foreign Office initially downplayed the rejection, suggesting a formal request had not yet been made. In November 2023, Pakistan's envoy to Moscow, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, confirmed the application had been lodged for 2024 and expressed hope that Russia's Brics presidency would help advance it.
Despite the stalled membership, Islamabad has moved to deepen economic ties with the bloc. In 2025, Pakistan purchased a US$580 million stake in the Brics-backed New Development Bank, aiming to diversify its financing options and reduce dependence on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The purchase does not confer membership, but signals Pakistan's intent to remain engaged.
What are Pakistan's strategic motivations?
According to a Stimson Centre report, Pakistan's push for Brics membership is driven by severe and long-running economic challenges. Islamabad has repeatedly relied on financing from China and the UAE, both Brics members, to manage its balance of payments crises.
Beyond financial benefits, membership would grant Pakistan a larger platform for diplomatic engagement and a formal place within the Global South bloc. Most countries seeking Brics entry view it as an alternative to institutions dominated by traditional Western powers, with potential access to emerging financial mechanisms and increased trade and investment flows.
India's own trade with Brics countries illustrates the bloc's economic significance. New Delhi's exports to the grouping rose 48.8 per cent, from US$64.3 billion to US$95.7 billion, demonstrating the commercial value at stake.
Will Pakistan eventually join Brics?
Pakistan's application remains on the table, and Islamabad says it intends to keep pressing.
We remain serious about pursuing its membership, and we will persist with our efforts to become its full member,a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in July 2025.
For now, Pakistan remains close enough to engage with Brics through institutional channels, but not close enough to sit at the table as a full member. The path to membership runs through New Delhi, and until India's position shifts, Pakistan's wait looks set to continue.