The India factor is not insurmountable but it is not trivial either. Pakistan and India normalised diplomatic contact through back-channel efforts in 2025, and the two countries’ bilateral temperature has dropped from its post-Pulwama peak. Whether that thaw extends to New Delhi dropping its BRICS objection is a separate diplomatic calculation entirely. India’s concern is not only about Pakistan it is about the precedent of expanding a bloc where China’s influence already far outweighs India’s.
ISLAMABAD: The effort of Pakistan to become a member state of BRICS is very much real and very much ongoing. However, what it is not, at least not as of now, is an established fact. Recognizing the distinction between these two is the first step towards any proper evaluation of Pakistan’s status within BRICS.
BRICS Application Process
The process for joining the BRICS was initiated in November 2023 through the submission by the Pakistani government of its application. The move was officially reported by the Foreign Office of Pakistan. The main reason for Pakistan’s joining BRICS is obvious. This would help establish strong economic links with BRICS members, attract investments from abroad, and create a place for Pakistan in a new multipolar world consisting of almost half of humanity.
The BRICS Group and Countries Already within it
BRICS was originally constituted as a group of five leading economies that consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS group has expanded greatly since then. As recently as January 2025, Indonesia became an official member of BRICS, making its current total membership number as ten countries, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, and Indonesia.
As a group, the bloc managed to attain 4 percent growth in GDP in 2024, which was far above the world average, according to data from the International Monetary Fund. The bloc constitutes 20 percent of international trade. For Pakistan, which is presently undergoing an unstable economic recovery process, membership in BRICS provides a substantial strategy.
Those Supporting Pakistan’s Candidature – and Those Opposing It
Pakistan’s two major supporters among the BRICS nations include China and Russia. The Chinese support has come quite naturally because of the economic ties between the two countries through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The Russian support came through in September 2024 when Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk stated his support during a visit to Islamabad.
The problem is primarily in India. BRICS requires a consensus approach – implying unanimous approval from all the present members. India has been traditionally against the idea of involving Pakistan in the bloc. There has been no official withdrawal of this stance from India’s side. The Indian government has issued no official statement withdrawing this policy decision.
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Three Actual Barriers to Pakistan’s BRICS Membership
Challenges to Pakistan’s Entry into BRICS — According to Current Circumstances
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India’s “Consensus Veto”
The functioning of BRICS is based on the concept of consensus. India has not made an official statement to withdraw its opposition to Pakistan becoming a member of BRICS as of May 2026.
Doubts About Economic Fit for Admission
Critics have pointed out that Pakistan’s continuing relationship with the IMF and its economic limitations pose doubts about its fit with the profile of other BRICS nations. It is feared Pakistan may be an additional economic burden on BRICS members.
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Pressure from US President on BRICS Expansion
President Donald Trump of the US has issued threats of economic sanctions and tariffs against BRICS member countries in early 2025. The attempt by Pakistan to join BRICS while at the same time pursuing financial stability under IMF guidelines presents a foreign relations challenge to Pakistan.
What Actual Membership Would Mean for Pakistan
Putting the diplomatic challenges to one side for the moment, let us explore just what benefits could come from being a member of BRICS. According to economic strategist Dr Mehmoodul Hassan Khan, who referred to diplomatic sources, Pakistan’s membership in BRICS would provide new vistas for rapid economic cooperation, foreign investment flows, and development in industries including digital and AI.
Beyond all these advantages, joining BRICS will officially enable Pakistan to access the New Development Bank, an independent development bank that the BRICS member states own and operate. This would put Pakistan within a trading organization that creates its own regulations instead of following the already existing organizations dominated by the West.
The geographic position of Pakistan provides even more justification for membership in BRICS. As a connecting country between South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, Pakistan links all BRICS countries through its geographic position via sea and land routes, which become ever more important for BRICS itself in its economic activity. This geographic reason for inclusion in BRICS does not necessarily mean admission to the organization, yet it provides an additional factor to support Pakistan’s application.
The Summit of 2026: The Next Opportunity?
Pakistani publications quoting diplomatic sources mention the 19th BRICS summit in 2026 as the next possible realistic window for Pakistan’s membership of the organization. Whether the upcoming 19th summit will bring positive results in this respect depends solely on the diplomacy of the period between the present moment and that day.
BRICS has officially confirmed neither Pakistan’s entry nor a time frame for addressing the issue. Pakistan’s Foreign Office has officially confirmed only that the application remains pending and that Islamabad is actively engaging with the members.
Honest Assessment
No one can question that Pakistan’s application to join BRICS carries grave importance, given that two of the group’s leading members favor Pakistan’s inclusion. Nevertheless, policymakers and analysts must also consider certain key aspects.
But all these things will be revealed through the 2026 meeting. For now, Pakistan’s efforts to join the BRICS group are just the same as they were in November 2023 – an official application, diplomatic engagements, and total uncertainty about the future. Focus Pakistan will keep you updated.
