How can regional connectivity and institutional cooperation facilitate Pakistan’s geoeconomic stance and strengthen its prospects with BRICS? This study analyzed that Pakistan’s geoeconomic structure despite many developing states, has potential to expand the regional connectivity and institutional networks enable Pakistan to enable economic growth through multilateral engagement. The traditional style of competition in the international system has undergone a rapid change from geopolitics to geoeconomic which is outlined by economic interdependence, regional connectivity and institutional engagement. This contemporary geoeconomic environment put Pakistan at the crossroads of strategic location in most of the Asian regions to transform its geoeconomic potential. Grounded in the neoliberal institutional perspective, as institutions facilitate cooperation mechanisms by cutting the obstacles and advocate collective gains, the study illustrates Pakistan’s geoeconomic structure and its prospects for engagements with BRICS as an emerging trend for multilateral cooperation in the region. For gathering evidence, the research adopts a qualitative methodology, depends content analysis on document analysis, derives data from policy documents, published literature and reports of international institutions. In-depth case study analysis chosen to examine Pakistan’s strategic geography, maritime potential and Pakistan as part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). This study explores the fact that BRICS, a pure geo-economic group, provides opportunities for enhancing regional cooperation for broader development and this indicates the fact that Pakistan, owing the potential of all the tools of connectivity infrastructure, can become a prominent part of BRICS to foster greater economic interdependent force. Despite potential outcome, limitations prevail by persistent macroeconomic challenges, security parameters and regional complexity. These structural challenges are obstacles for Pakistan to fully utilize its potential of geoeconomics, despite its role as a regional gateway to connecting major parts of Asia and Arabian Sea. The study concludes that regardless of Neoliberal institutionalism's perspective of deeper economic engagement through institutions, these opportunities depend on comprehensive economic reforms, balanced foreign policy to mitigate the geopolitical rivalry.
Keywords: Pakistan; Geoeconomics; Neoliberal Institutionalism; Regional Connectivity; BRICS
