TEHRAN — Pakistan is pushing ahead with its bid to join BRICS, the powerful economic bloc of emerging nations, despite growing geopolitical pressure and the threat of punitive tariffs from the United States, reported by Mher News Agency.
“We remain focused and serious about our membership in BRICS,” said Shafqat Ali Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press briefing on Wednesday. “This is not conditioned by any other country’s opinion or sentiment toward this organization.”
Khan framed the move as a principled stance. “We see BRICS as an important instrument for the broader promotion of multilateralism on the basis of sovereign equality,” he said. “It is an important organization. And we continue our efforts to become a full member.”
His comments come just weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Washington would impose an additional 10% tariff on goods from countries supporting what he called “anti-American” BRICS policies—a move widely seen as a warning to allies and rivals alike.
Founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China—with South Africa joining in 2011—BRICS expanded significantly on January 1, 2024, adding Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia joined shortly after, on January 6, 2025, signaling the group’s increasing global weight.
Analysts say Pakistan’s ambitions reflect a broader shift toward multipolar diplomacy, especially as Islamabad seeks to diversify its alliances and navigate rising U.S.-China tensions.
Despite the pressure, Pakistan appears determined to pursue a foreign policy driven more by strategic pragmatism than by deference to Washington. For Islamabad, BRICS represents both economic opportunity and geopolitical rebalancing—a stage on which it hopes to amplify its global voice.
