Ashraf AboArafe
At the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to dialogue, peace, and regional connectivity, urging member states to embrace diplomacy over confrontation.
Sharif called for a comprehensive and structured dialogue to resolve South Asia’s longstanding disputes, stressing that the SCO provides the most representative platform for regional integration. “Pakistan has always believed in the power of multilateralism, dialogue, and diplomacy, while shunning unilateralism,” he noted, lamenting the region’s recent “extremely disturbing” developments.
On security, he denounced terrorism in all its forms, including “state terrorism,” while recalling Pakistan’s immense sacrifices—over 90,000 lives lost and $152 billion in economic damages. He warned that foreign elements were implicated in recent terror incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing the Jaffar Express hostage attack as one of many examples.
Turning to Palestine, Sharif condemned Israel’s aggression against Iran and Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and reiterating Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as Palestine’s capital.
On Afghanistan, he emphasized Pakistan’s support for a peaceful and stable neighbor, expressing hope that trilateral cooperation with China and Afghanistan would yield positive regional results.
Addressing the climate crisis, Sharif recalled the devastating floods triggered by torrential rains in Pakistan, which caused vast human and economic losses. He thanked China and the wider international community for their solidarity.
Despite these challenges, the prime minister spoke of Pakistan’s economic recovery, pointing to reduced inflation, a current account surplus, and revived market activity. He outlined a vision of transformation based on three pillars: export-led growth, foreign investment in strategic sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, AI, IT, minerals, and energy, alongside comprehensive tax reforms.
He underlined youth empowerment as central to Pakistan’s future, noting the country’s efforts to create opportunities for employment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
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Lauding China’s visionary leadership, Sharif praised President Xi Jinping and initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and global frameworks like the GDI, GSI, and GCI. He stressed that the expansion of CPEC could stand as a living embodiment of SCO’s vision of connectivity and economic integration.
Concluding, the prime minister extended felicitations to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on their national days, calling for the SCO family to remain bound by “bridges of dialogue and cooperation” in the pursuit of peace and prosperity across Asia.
