How India views Pakistan's bid to join BRICS
Pakistan last month formally requested to join BRICS — the grouping of five major emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Islamabad's move comes at a time when the bloc is rapidly gaining global influence and trying to position itself as a leading voice of the Global South.
Together, the five member states currently represent over 40% of the world's population and almost a third of the global economy.
At this year's BRICS summit, the grouping decided to expand, with six new countries — Egypt, Ethiopia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran — joining it next year.
While announcing Islamabad's application to join the club, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, described BRICS as an "important group of developing countries."
By joining the bloc, he said, "Pakistan can play an important role in furthering international cooperation and revitalizing inclusive multilateralism."
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Pakistan's arch-rival India has so far not publicly reacted to Islamabad's membership bid.
Privately, however, some Indian security and foreign policy officials expressed skepticism.
"Pakistan's membership application has just cropped up and is at a nascent stage. These are still early days," a senior Indian official, who asked not to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media, told DW.
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