Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif invited Afghanistan to combat terrorism. And ensure that its territory is not used for any other country. He accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza. Where thousands of Palestinians have been martyred. The International Court of Justice also noted Israeli atrocities. He demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, urging an end to the attacks.
All political parties have confidence regarding Operation Resolve Stability. The government has decided to hold an all-party conference on this matter. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital city. Shehbaz Sharif condemned state terrorism and highlighted ongoing inhumanities in Gaza.
He said there are UN Security Council resolutions for solving pending issues and stressed their implementation. He called upon the UN to enforce its resolutions again. At the same time, reiterating Pakistan’s support for the capital of Palestinian statehood. He appealed to the SCO to speak up about Palestine’s situation. And guaranteed that his country would make a dynamic organization. In contrast, achieving goals set forth under the SCO platform.
He drew attention to the role played by scores in the socio-economic development agenda among people within regions. Stressing that shared challenges should lead to joint efforts to foster growth. And prosperity through freeing geopolitical confrontations and, hence, securing brighter futures.
Moreover, he indicated that the SCO body may need to consider alternative financing strategies, mentioning Pakistan’s strategic position as a major trade route along the Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC). Afghanistan soil should never again become a launching pad against any nation-state; therefore, he urged meaningful engagement with interim authorities to resolve people’s problems together. Besides this, Shehzad Sharif also talked about combating islamophobia collectively among member countries, including climate change threats vis-a-vis socio-economic impacts caused around the globe following the COVID-19 pandemic challenges.
Afterwards, signed a joint declaration document during a post-summit meeting among scores of critical leaders, including PM Shahbaz Sharif, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Tajikistan’s Head of State Emomali Rahmon and Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov these dignitaries held separate talks that revolved around bilateral relations besides touching on various areas concerning international cooperation.
Earlier, the SCO approved cooperation decisions in various sectors, including the economy and security, signed agreements related to environmental protection, and proposed using local currencies among member countries. The council approved approximately 20 decisions across different cooperation areas.
In addition to adopting the Astana Declaration, the SCO endorsed three statements on drinking water and sanitation, effective waste management, and the principles of good neighbourliness. The council also approved various projects and strategies for ongoing cooperation in the economic and security sectors. SCO ministers signed an agreement on environmental protection.
The coalition parties in the government agreed on the necessity of Operation Resolve Stability and its immediate commencement. However, Bilawal Bhutto recently stated that the federal government and all parties should still come together at one table to advance the country with a comprehensive strategy.
