SCO summit: PM Shehbaz Sharif says terrorism should be condemned in all its forms

Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) virtual summit hosted by India on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, should be condemned in “clear and unambiguous terms”.

“The hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism, whether committed by individuals, societies or states must be fought by full vigour,” he told the meeting.

There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext.”

He emphasized that religious minorities should not be demonised in the “pursuit of domestic political agendas”.

Shehbaz Sharif pointed out that the SCO stands for observance of the UN principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and people’s right to self-determination. “UN security council resolutions offer us a workable framework for the resolution of some longstanding disputes in the region. These must be addressed to immediately and settled amicably before it is too late,” he said.

Highlighting the significance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan to unlock the true economic potential of the SCO region, PM Shehbaz Sharif 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, the premier 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. He said that climate change demands global solidarity and a global response. It is time to act and we must act now and immediately.

Emphasizing on investing in connectivity projects, the prime minister said building efficient transport corridors and reliable supply chains are crucial elements to achieve the shared vision of an economically integrated region.

Shehbaz Sharif said the CPEC can be a game changer for connectivity, stability, peace and prosperity in this entire region.

“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,” he said, adding that Pakistan plans to host the SCO conference on Transport Connectivity for Regional Prosperity in the last quarter of current year.

The prime minister also stressed greater collaboration for poverty alleviation. He said the special working group on poverty alleviation proposed by Pakistan has become operational, expressing the confidence that it will provide an impetus to our collective efforts to eliminate poverty and improve the living standards of the people.

Concluding his speech, PM Shehbaz Sharif felicitated Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Iran’s accession to SCO as a full member, expressing the confidence that its inclusion will immensely benefit the organization

The prime minister congratulated Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar and UAE on their accession as new dialogue partners.