NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s long-pending bid for BRICS membership remains stalled nearly three years after Islamabad formally applied to join the grouping, with India’s position emerging as the biggest obstacle to Pakistan’s entry.
Pakistan applied for BRICS membership in 2023 and sought support particularly from Russia, while China has also backed Islamabad’s broader diplomatic push. Yet, because BRICS decisions on full membership are reached by consensus among existing members, India’s opposition can effectively prevent Pakistan from entering the bloc.
From BRIC to an 11-member BRICS
The grouping traces its origins to 2006, when Brazil, Russia, India and China began coordinating as BRIC. The first BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 16, 2009. South Africa subsequently joined, with its participation beginning at the Sanya Summit in April 2011, turning BRIC into BRICS. The acronym itself had been coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the rising economic importance of Brazil, Russia, India and China.
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The next major expansion came at the Johannesburg Summit in August 2023, when leaders invited Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full members from January 1, 2024. Argentina subsequently declined the invitation. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joined in January 2024, while Indonesia formally joined in January 2025. BRICS now has 11 full members, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the UAE.
The bloc has consequently developed into a major Global South platform, representing about 49.5 per cent of the world’s population, 40 per cent of global GDP and 26 per cent of global trade.
Why Pakistan’s membership bid remains vulnerable
BRICS does not operate under a conventional accession treaty. Its agreed criteria for full membership include geographical balance, good relations with all BRICS members, support for reform of global governance including the United Nations Security Council, and no imposition of unilateral sanctions. The formal process involves an expression of interest, consideration by BRICS Sherpas and foreign ministers, followed by a final decision through consensus among BRICS leaders.
That consensus requirement places Pakistan in a difficult position. India has long raised concerns over Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism, terrorism emanating from Pakistani territory and the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy. The Indian government has repeatedly said that Pakistan must take concrete and verifiable action against terrorist networks operating from its territory.
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Pakistan has nevertheless continued lobbying for membership, particularly seeking Russian support. Its diplomatic efforts have gained some economic proximity to the BRICS ecosystem, including a reported $580 million stake in the BRICS-backed New Development Bank, but that does not confer BRICS membership.
The timing of Pakistan’s bid is particularly significant because India is chairing BRICS in 2026 and is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The summit brings together the 11 members, partner countries and outreach invitees. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and heads of institutions including WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and NDB President Dilma Rousseff are also participating.
For Pakistan, therefore, the BRICS application remains a diplomatic test. Islamabad may have support from China and Russia, but without India’s agreement, Pakistan’s path to full BRICS membership remains highly difficult.
