Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a key regional platform for peace and prosperity.
At the 24th SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, Sharif emphasized the organization’s vast potential and called on leaders to prioritize peace over politics.
“I reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to enhancing the SCO as an active, integrated forum for regional peace and prosperity, aligned with the Shanghai spirit,” he said.
The summit was themed as “Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue—Striving Towards Sustainable Peace and Prosperity.”
He pointed out Pakistan’s strategic position as a regional trade hub, enhanced by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which supports the SCO’s connectivity and economic collaboration goals.
Sharif suggested using national currencies for transactions within the SCO to buffer against global financial disturbances and backed the creation of an alternative SCO funding mechanism for regional projects.
He supported the SCO’s commitment to environmental protection and reaffirmed Pakistan’s dedication to sustainable development, emphasizing stability in Afghanistan.
The PM called for meaningful dialogue with Afghanistan’s interim government to address their economic and developmental needs, ensuring the prevention of terrorism from Afghan territory.
On terrorism, he advocated a united stance against extremism, respecting sovereignty and self-determination, and cited UNSC resolutions for resolving regional conflicts.
Concern was expressed over Israeli actions in Palestine, urging the SCO to denounce these acts and support a two-state solution as per the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the Palestinian capital.
