• Shehbaz says communal harmony should replace ‘violent ultra-nationalism’
• Cautions against use of terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring
• Calls for collective approach towards climate action, regional peace, trade

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday tactfully assailed India over state-sponsored terrorism, as he advocated for peace and stability in the region as a collective responsibility of members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

In his remarks during the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting, hosted by India in virtual format, the premier stressed that regional peace and stability were prerequisites for economic development.

He added the ‘hydra-headed monster’ of terrorism and extremism, whether carried out by individuals, or societies and states must be fought with “our full might”.

“Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring must be eschewed. Instead of cherry-picking for narrow political gains, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms,” he asserted.

He said there can be no justification for the killing of innocent people, regardless of the cause or pretext. “Similarly, religious minorities should never be demonised in the pursuit of domestic political agendas,” he remarked.

The PM noted that peace in the context of contemporary inter-state relations could be negative or positive. “Negative peace” refers to absence of violence but persistence of the conflict’s root causes, while “positive peace” connotes a situation where the underlying causes of a conflict are addressed.

“We must strive for establishing positive peace in the SCO region. To achieve that goal, the fundamental rights and freedoms must be guaranteed to all, including those under occupation,” he said.

He said peace and communal harmony should replace violent ultra-nationalism and xenophobic ideologies, especially Islamophobia.

Regional peace

He said the achievement of lasting peace and security in the region was both a common concern as well as a responsibility of all SCO leaders.

Stability in Afghanistan is critical for achieving this common objective, the premier said, adding that the international community currently finds itself at a ‘standstill’ with Afghanistan.

According to Mr Sharif, the ‘cascade’ of unmet expectations has meant that critical support needed by Afghanistan to stave off a grave humanitarian crisis, prevent an economic meltdown and combat terrorism, has been withheld. He also urged Kabul to take concrete measures to ensure its soil is not used for terrorism by any entity.

“SCO countries must take concerted actions, both in their national capacities and collectively, under the framework of SCO-RATS [Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure] to combat the three evils of terrorism, extremism, and separatism. For its part, Pakistan fully supports measures to enhance the effectiveness of the SCO-RATS mechanism,” he assured.

He said Shanghai Spirit, was in full alignment with Pakistan’s vision for a regional and global order, based on promoting peace, prosperity and shared development.

“The irreversible process of globalisation and interdependence has taught us that our destinies are intertwined. The solution to our collective problems lies in working together for regional peace, stability and socio-economic development. You will find Pakistan a willing partner in all such endeavours,” the premier said.

PM Shehbaz said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, can be a force multiplier not only for regional connectivity but also for regional stability, peace and prosperity. He said Pakistan’s location serves as a natural bridge connecting Europe and Central Asia with China, South Asia and the Middle East.

“We need to expand such initiatives across the SCO region, to open up new avenues for trade, investment, job creation and shared prosperity. To that end, Pakistan plans to host the SCO Conference on Transport Connectivity for Regional Prosperity in the last quarter of 2023.”

Climate change

PM Shehbaz also talked about the challenges posed by climate change.

“Climate chaos is knocking on our doors, every moment. It is real, devastating and affects everyone living on this planet, in varying degrees. Being a global crisis that threatens humanity’s survival, climate change demands global solidarity and a global response. It’s time to act – and we must act now,” he said.

“We must also ensure that developed countries deliver on their commitments, to provide enhanced and predictable support to developing countries in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change,” he stressed. He said poverty alleviation remains a pressing issue for SCO member-states.

“The heightened military tensions across the globe and unprecedented hike in energy and food prices, coupled with economic recession in the aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic, have taken a heavy toll on our efforts to address this challenge in our societies.” He said the presence of the largest number of poor people on the planet within SCO borders, obliges us to have closer cooperation for poverty alleviation.

“Over the past 20 years, we have built a strong foundation for SCO’s development cooperation matrix. However, there is a growing realisation that a gap exists between the organisation’s aspirations and performance; between the raft of Agreements and MoUs we have signed and their implementation. It is time we translate our political will into actions on the ground,” he remarked.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2023