ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan successfully hosted the high-profile Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged member states to work together to enhance regional security and stability.
“We are at a historic moment of transition, where sweeping transformations are reshaping the global, social, political, economic, and security landscape,” he said during his keynote address at the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG).
This summit—one of the most significant international events held in Pakistan in years—took place at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad, with leaders from 10 countries attending, including India.
Notably, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s presence marked the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade, amid ongoing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
PM Shehbaz Advocates for Regional Peace and Stability
Presiding over the summit, PM Shehbaz emphasized the importance of multilateralism through the SCO, saying, “From the esteemed platform of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a beacon of multilateralism, I firmly believe we have not only the potential but the collective will to create a future that is more prosperous and secure for our people.”
He further stressed that this future should be “inclusive and reflective of the shared aspirations of all member states,” highlighting the SCO’s role in fostering regional cooperation and peace.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that Afghanistan’s strategic location offers immense opportunities for trade and transit, which could benefit all member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
“A stable Afghanistan is not only desirable but essential for fully realizing these opportunities,” he stated.
Though Afghanistan holds observer status within the SCO, it has been largely inactive since the Taliban assumed power in 2021. The prime minister urged the international community to provide urgent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan while calling on the Taliban’s interim government to embrace political inclusivity. He stressed that Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against its neighbors by any entity.
PM Shehbaz also addressed the issue of poverty, calling it not just an economic challenge but a moral imperative that demands the collective attention of the region. “With millions living in poverty within the SCO region, closer cooperation on poverty alleviation is critical,” he said.
As Pakistan holds the permanent chair of the SCO’s Special Working Group on Poverty, the prime minister noted that the country has facilitated numerous seminars and webinars to share knowledge and best practices. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to driving collective efforts to address the root causes of poverty and improve the quality of life for the people in the region.
