F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for a joint action by the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to address the common challenges of economic recession, terrorism, and climate change.
“The SCO represents a promising future only if we seize the opportunity to achieve the shared goals for the region’s peace and prosperity,” he said in his virtual address to the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS). The invitation to Prime Minister Sharif to attend the SCO-CHS, which was held in a video conference format, was extended by the prime minister of India in his capacity as the current Chair of the SCO.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian prime ministerNarendraModi, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-JomartTokayev, Tajikistan’s President EmomaliRahmon, Uzbekistan’s President ShavkatMirziyoyev, and Iranian President EbrahimRaisi joined the virtual moot among other leaders of the observer states. PM Sharif said the SCO leaders were meeting at a critical juncture as the world faced socio-economic challenges.
He stressed that the regional organization could play the role of “beacon of peace, stability, and progress”. Terming regional connectivity a defining feature of the modern economy, he emphasized focusing on investment in this area as a “vehicle of peace and prosperity”.
He mentioned that China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, could become a game-changer of progress in view of Pakistan’s location connecting the region. He announced that Pakistan was planning to host a regional connectivity conference in the last quarter of the current year.
On terrorism and extremism, the prime minister said the “monster” must be fought with vigour and determination by all SCO states. He pointed out that diplomatic point-scoring must be avoided by all countries and said that all forms of terrorism, including State terrorism, must be condemned. “There is no justification for killing people. Also, the religious minorities should not be marginalized in the garb of political agenda,” he said.
Sharif said the SCO countries must take concerted actions against terrorism, extremism, and separatism both in their national capacities and also under the framework of SCO-RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure). Terming peace and security a common concern, he said stability in Afghanistan was critical to achieving the common objective. He highlighted the impending grave humanitarian crisis and economic meltdown in Afghanistan, which he said, needed urgent corrective measures by the interim Afghan government and the international community.
On climate-induced disasters, the prime minister said the situation demanded global solidarity as it was the time to act “now and immediately”. He mentioned that Pakistan, during the last year’s flash floods, faced the “horrors of climate change”, leading to 1,700 deaths and economic losses worth $30 billion.
Sharif said poverty alleviation must be a priority in the wake of economic recession. On Islamophobia, he said peace and communal harmony were the need of the hour. He emphasized adhering to the resolutions of the UN Security Council to settle the issues amicably before it was too late.
The prime minister expressed Pakistan’s resolve to play a positive and constructive role in making SCO an effective regional organization. He thanked India for its stewardship of SCO during the past year and congratulated Kazakhstan for assuming the chair for the next year. He congratulated the President of Iran on his country’s inclusion in the organization as a full member.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) had undoubtedly the potential to shape a promising future for the peoples living within its borders.
The prime minister, who earlier addressed the virtual summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State, reiterated that Pakistan would continue to work with the member countries to realise the shared dream of prosperity, peace and connectivity. On Twitter, the prime minister shared a gist of his address at CHS saying that he underlined the need for concerted response at the SCO forum to the global geo-political flux by prioritizing shared vision of an economically integrated region.
“I threw light on Pakistan’s attractive geographical location as a natural bridge between Asia & Europe within the framework of Belt & Road Initiative,” he remarked. He particularly urged the member countries to condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including state terrorism and cautioned against the dangers of violent ultra-nationalism and demonisation of religious minorities in pursuit of domestic political agendas.
It is by granting fundamental rights and freedoms to all people that sustainable peace can be established, he added. While building a case for enhanced international engagement with the Afghan Interim Government as a necessary condition to unlock the potential of the SCO, he also urged Afghan authorities to deliver on their global commitments.
Mentioning the destruction caused by unprecedented floods last year, the prime minister asked the international community to act upon their assurances by providing support to developing countries in mitigating and adapting to the ill-effects of climate change.
Shehbaz for priority to completion of public welfare projects: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stressed on according high priority to the public welfare projects, besides maintaining quality and transparency of the ongoing development projects. He said preference should be given to commencement of those projects which were aimed at development and prosperity of youth and women’s empowerment.
The prime minister issued these directives while chairing a high- level meeting on uplift projects under the current fiscal year. The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for DefenceKhawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Planning AhsanIqbal, PM’s Adviser Ahad Khan Cheema, PM’s Special Assistants Malik Ahmad Khan and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and other relevant authorities, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The meeting was apprised of the progress on the development work during the fiscal year 2023-24 and a detailed briefing was also given about the steps for the progress and prosperity of youth and women, and development of agriculture, industries, infrastructure and other sectors. The prime minister directed for completion of all the projects within the stipulated period of time and the submission of a comprehensive report over the related mechanism.
He said the PM’s Merit Scholarship initiative was being launched across the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. The meeting was further briefed that under the PM’s Youth Programme, distribution process of laptops among the talented youth would commence soon. The prime minister observed that for the development of agriculture sector, solarization process of tube wells should be initiated soon, besides directing that pace on the public welfare mega projects should be expedited. He also stressed upon attaching special focus on the uplift of the backward areas during the current fiscal year.
