MM News

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that use of terrorism as a ‘‘cudgel for diplomatic point scoring must be eschewed’’, calling on the world to fight it with fullest conviction.

Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) virtually on Tuesday, the PM said that the “hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism, whether committed by individuals, societies or states must be fought without fullest conviction.”

“Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point scoring must be eschewed. Terrorism in all its forms and manifestation, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms.

There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext.“

‘‘While sacrifice made by Pakistan in fighting terrorism are without parallel, this scourge continues to plague our region and remains a serious obstacle to the maintenance of peace and stability.’’

To achieve the goal of sustainable peace, the fundamental rights and freedoms must be guaranteed to all, including those under occupation, the PM said.

Terming regional connectivity a defining feature of the modern economy, he emphasized focusing on investment in this area as a “vehicle of peace and prosperity”.

He mentioned that China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, could become a game-changer of progress in view of Pakistan’s location connecting the region.

He announced that Pakistan was planning to host a regional connectivity conference in the last quarter of the current year.

On climate-induced disasters, the prime minister said the situation demanded global solidarity as it was the time to act “now and immediately”.

He mentioned that Pakistan, during the last year’s flash floods, faced the “horrors of climate change”, leading to 1,700 deaths and economic losses worth $30 billion.

Sharif said poverty alleviation must be a priority in the wake of economic recession.

On Islamophobia, he said peace and communal harmony were the need of the hour. He emphasized adhering to the resolutions of the UN Security Council to settle the issues amicably before it was too late.

The prime minister expressed Pakistan’s resolve to play a positive and constructive role in making SCO an effective regional organization.

He thanked India for its stewardship of SCO during the past year and congratulated Kazakhstan for assuming the chair for the next year. He congratulated the President of Iran on his country’s inclusion in the organization as a full member.