Pakistan affirms commitment to SCO, calls for dialogue, peace, regional connectivity

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif speaking at SCO summit at Tianjin, China on Sept 1, 2025 (EP Wing) 

TIANJIN, 1 Sep 2025: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday stressed promoting regional cooperation, dialogue, and peace under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) framework, urging the Organization's leadership to initiate a comprehensive and structured dialogue to address longstanding disputes in South Asia.

Highlighting Pakistan’s support for multilateralism, the prime minister said the SCO remained a platform that best represents Pakistan’s abiding commitment to regional cooperation and integration.

"Pakistan has always believed in the power of multilateralism, dialogue and diplomacy, and shunning unilateralism," he said expressing disappointment over the region's extremely disturbing development in the last few months.

Addressing the 25th SCO Heads of States Council Meeting,  he emphasized that Pakistan sought normal and stable relations with its neighbors, advocating dialogue over confrontation.

On regional security, the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation of terrorism in all its forms, including what he termed “state terrorism,” while recalling the country’s immense sacrifices in the fight against extremism. “We have lost over 90,000 lives and endured economic losses exceeding $152 billion — a sacrifice unparalleled in history,” he said, adding that foreign elements were involved in recent terror incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"We condemn terrorism in all its forms... Those who have long used terrorism for advancing their political interest must know that the world no longer buys this narrative. We had irrefutable evidence of the involvement of some foreign hands in the devastating Jaffar Express train hostage incident as well as countless other terrorist attacks against us in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province," the prime minister remarked.

The prime minister strongly condemning Israel’s unjustified aggression against Iran, a fellow SCO member, called for an immediate end to the bloodshed in Gaza. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the two-state solution with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of Palestine.

As regards, Afghanistan situation, he said Pakistan supports a peaceful and stable Afghanistan for the benefit of the entire region. He expressed hope that trilateral cooperation between Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan would yield positive results.

Addressing the challenge of climate-induced disasters, the prime minister spoke about the devastating floods currently affecting Pakistan due to torrential rains, which have caused massive human and economic losses. He thanked the international community, particularly China, for their solidarity and assistance.

Despite challenges, he noted that Pakistan was on a path of economic recovery, citing reduced inflation, a current account surplus, and rising capital market activity. He outlined Pakistan’s economic transformation plan based on three pillars: export-led growth, foreign investment in key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, AI, IT, minerals, and energy, and comprehensive tax reforms.

Underscoring the importance of youth empowerment, the prime minister said Pakistan was creating new opportunities for meaningful employment and innovation, turning its large youth population into an asset for national development.

He also lauded China’s successful chairmanship of the organization, describing it as a reflection of President Xi Jinping’s visionary leadership, and praised initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The prime minister said today China's global leadership was exemplified not only through the SCO but also in the landmark initiatives such as Global Development Initiative (GDI) , Global Security Initiative (GSI), Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) and Belt and Road initiative with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as its flagship project.

Highlighting the significance of enhanced regional connectivity, PM Shehbaz Sharif called for efficient land, air and rail corridors to ensure reliability of supply chains. "Expansion of the CPEC, can serve as a practical demonstration of SCO's vision for regional connectivity and economic integration," he added.

The prime minister also extended his heartfelt felicitation to brotherly countries Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan as they celebrate their national day.