ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday advised India against using terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring, saying terror activities remain a serious obstacle to peace in the region.
Addressing the Council of Heads of States (CHS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Shehbaz emphasised the importance of countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state-sponsored terrorism.
The prime minister stressed that terrorism and extremism whether committed by individuals, societies or states must be fought with full vigour and conviction.
“Any temptation to use [terrorism] for diplomatic point-scoring must be avoided under all circumstances. Terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms.”
“There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people and similarly religious minorities should never be demonised in the pursuit of domestic political agenda,” he said.
The prime minister said that the world community will have to raise their voice against human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), adding that they will have to ensure people’s right of self-determination for global peace. He said the regional disputes should be resolved according to the UN Security Council resolutions.
He asked the SCO leaders to ensure respect for the universally recognised principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to self-determination, as well as the need to immediately and amicably resolve the long-standing disputes in the region.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s contributions towards regional and global counter-terrorism efforts, which had been made at immense sacrifice of blood and treasure.
He called for focused efforts on combating three evils, including terrorism, extremism and separatism.
The prime minister, while addressing the event organised by India virtually, called upon the SCO leaders to strive for establishing positive peace in the SCO region by guaranteeing the fundamental rights and freedoms to all people, including those under occupation, and by combating all forms of racism, ultra-nationalism and xenophobic ideologies, especially Islamophobia.
“We should resolutely oppose divisive policies based on prejudice and discrimination and there should be no place for the willful provocations and incitement to hatred especially on religious grounds,” he said.
The CHS is the SCO’s highest executive body where the leaders of SCO member states approve decisions regarding the strategic direction of the organisation.
Besides the leaders of SCO member states, the presidents of SCO observer states – Iran, Belarus and Mongolia – as well as the president of Turkmenistan and the heads of international organisations attended the CHS.
PM Shehbaz also affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the principles and purposes of SCO Charter, describing the Shanghai Spirit as a core value of SCO, which provides the basis for win-win cooperation.
He also outlined Pakistan’s vision for the SCO as a regional organisation focused on the promotion of peace, prosperity and shared development.
Highlighting the significance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan to unlock the true economic potential of the SCO region, the prime minister said the international community should meaningfully engage with the interim Afghan government. He said concrete measures should also be taken by the interim Afghan government to ensure that its soil is not used for terrorism by any entity.
Referring to the threat posed by climate change to humanity’s survival, he urged the developed world to deliver on their assurances and provide enhanced support to the developing countries in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change.
Emphasising on investing in connectivity projects, Shehbaz said building efficient transport corridors and reliable supply chains are crucial elements to achieve the shared vision of an economically integrated region.
He said the CPEC could be a game changer for connectivity, stability, peace and prosperity in this entire region.
He said Pakistan’s location serves as a natural bridge connecting Europe and Central Asia with China, South Asia and the Middle East. Special economic zones being set up under the CPEC framework have direct access to our ports which can serve as convenient conduits for regional trade promotion.
Underlining the importance of regional connectivity as a vehicle for peace and prosperity, he highlighted that Pakistan’s location has made it a natural bridge connecting Europe and Central Asia with China and South Asia.
He announced that Pakistan would host the SCO Conference on Transport Connectivity for Regional Prosperity in the last quarter of 2023.
Calling poverty alleviation a shared priority for the SCO region, he welcomed the establishment of SCO Special Working Group on Poverty Alleviation, which had been proposed by Pakistan.
At the 23rd Meeting of the CHS, the SCO leaders approved 14 important decisions and documents, including the New Delhi Declaration, which articulated the collective stance of SCO member states on strategic and geopolitical issues of common interest. They also adopted two joint statements on Strategies to Counter Radicalisation Leading to Terrorism, Extremism and Separatism; and Cooperation in Digital Transformation; as well as the SCO Economic Development Strategy.
The CHS meeting provided an important opportunity for Pakistan to share its priorities for the future direction of the organisation.
Since becoming a member of the SCO in 2017, Pakistan has been actively participating in all SCO activities and has made constructive contributions towards achieving SCO’s multi-sectoral objectives under various SCO mechanisms.
