Pakistan loyal to join SCO fight against terrorism: FS

ISLAMABAD: In the backdrop of eight regional flags representing nations of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in a bid to boost counter-terrorism cooperation, Pakistan sent a loud and clear message that fighting terrorism “cannot and should not be identified with any religion, individual country or nationalities”.

Pakistan remains determined that it will join hands with SCO to fight the “three evils” of terrorism, extremism and separatism.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on Wednesday inaugurated the three-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) with a forceful address.

Legal experts from the eight member states including India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan as well as representatives of the SCO and RATS Executive Committee are participating in the meeting. “Pakistan would continue to complement these efforts. We support SCO consensus that as we engage in the fight against terrorism, we must respect norms and principles of international law, UN Charter and shun “double standards”. Terrorism cannot and should not be identified with any religion, individual country or nationalities”, Tehmina Janjua pointed out.

For Pakistan SCO is an organisation that offers a unique new model of inter-state cooperation for peace, security, connectivity and sustainable development, she said.

Pakistan with its vast experience, which even US and British generals are pointing out as lessons how to win battles on the ground against terrorism, the success has come with high costs.

“Pakistan is cognizant of the threats posed by terrorism, separatism and extremism to our region and beyond. Having fought terrorism, we have lost thousands of our citizens and law enforcement personnel, with many more injured. We have also suffered economic losses of over US $120 billion”, said the Foreign Secretary.

Bilateral relations apart, India’s presence is a reminder that no country is immune to the threat from terrorism, extremism and separatism and it is only through regional efforts that such battles can be fought, not by shunning neighbourly cooperation.