SCO Shanghai cooperation organization or shanghai pact.
started as shanghai five in 1996, after including Uzbekistan in 2001, renamed to SCO.
focused on elimination of terrorism, separatism and extremism. the org is expanding into social, economic and military phases as well.
currently it has 6 member states: china, Russian fed, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
two acceding member's Pakistan and India which currently have observer status, other 4 observer countries: Afghanistan, Belarus, Mongolia and Iran.
6 dialogue partners: armenia, azerbaijan, cambodia, nepal, srilanka and turkey.
3 guests: ASEAN, CIS and Turkmenistan.

the General Secretary: Rashid Olimov

in the 15th summit of SCO held in city of UFA in Russian Fed july 9-10 2015, announcement of Pakistan joining the SCO was made.
-Pakistan signed MOA on june 2016, tashkent summit.
-pakistan will join as a permanent member in 2017, Astana summit.
-tangible political, economic and security dividends for Pak
-SREB & EEU could benefit Pakistan.
- Potential to become gateway to landlocked CARS as north/south trade-energy corridor
-CPEC also helps in connecting with Russia, China , CARS & Caucasus.
-SCO is all about the Shanghai spirit, 5 elements
1. harmony, 2. working with consensus, 3.respect for culture, 4.non-interference in other's internal affairs, 5.non alignment.
-the shanghai spirit helps Pakistan in :
1. sustaining strategic partnership with china
2.resetting cordial relationship with russia
3.augmenting economic achievements with CARS
-SCO can also emerge as an counterweight to NATO which would help Pakistan stay its ground against any pressure.
-movement towards full grown security organization:
combination of military events, co-operation between SCO and CIS ( CSTO ), military assistance cooperation, maturing joint maneuvers, security response mechanism.

*SREB= Silk Road Economic Belt ( initiative by china)
*EEU= Eurasian Economic Union ( initiative by Russia)
*CARS= Central Asian States
*CIS ( Common wealth of independent states, Ex-russian States, 9/15 are members)
*CSTO= Collective Security Treaty Organization - A Russian led military Alliance of CIS
*ASEAN= Association of south east asian nations