Pakistan to cooperate with world against Daesh: PM

BIRGU Malta: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday expressed support for international efforts to counter the threats posed by Daesh and to deal with the phenomenon of foreign terrorists.
The prime minister along with other world leaders attended two retreat sessions on the second day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that focused on violent extremism, Sustainable Development Goals and migration.
The sessions held at the 14th century Saint Angelo Fort, situated in Malta’s historic city of Birgu also known as Vittoriosa, saw world leaders delve into finding working solutions to issues that were impacting the Commonwealth countries.
The sessions were joined by heads of government, including Malta’s Joseph Muscat, Britain’s David Cameron, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, Australia’s Malcolm Turnbull, French President Francois Hollande, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and other representatives from 53 member states.
The retreat sessions provided the CHOGM leaders an opportunity to mingle with each other and have their say in bilateral exchanges away from the public platform.
Besides an exchange of pleasantries, the heads of government did not miss the opportunity to share with each other their opinions on current global security challenges and the domestic, regional and international policy responses required to counter extremism.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in an informal interaction with other heads of government conveyed Pakistan’s strong condemnation of terrorist activities whether committed by individuals, groups or states, resulting in violence or threat of violence.
He apprised other leaders that Pakistan was also cooperating with the international community to deal with militancy and fully implemented the UN Security Council sanction regimes against terrorism.
The CHOGM leaders shared views on promoting global partnerships between the Commonwealth and other like-minded organisations pursuing similar agendas and stressed upon the states to invest in preventive measures to protect their citizens from the threat of violence and extremism.
During the second retreat session, held with the agenda of implementation of SDGs and migration, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif informed other leaders that Pakistan has been facing the issue of migrants and refugees for more than 35 years.
He stressed that the Commonwealth must advocate a long-term view of migration with more opportunities for regular and legal migration.
Nawaz also exchanged views on the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with particular attention to the steps that might be taken by the Commonwealth governments to accelerate implementation.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull met and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.
The two leaders expressed satisfaction over the existing cooperation between the two countries in the fields of trade, investment and defence.
Prime Minister Sharif said Pakistan values its relations with Australia, adding that the present state of relations is cordial and based on mutual trust.
He apprised the Australian Prime Minister of Pakistan’s efforts in maintaining peace in the region and mentioned the sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation in this regard.
The two sides also discussed areas for joint cooperation, including education and research, civil services reform, governance and the energy sector.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Turnbull also exchanged views on their shared interests in combating terrorism and extremist violence.
Following their meeting, the two leaders took a stroll at the historic Fort St Angelo situated on the Mediterranean Sea.