Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed terrorism as a major concern at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Thursday, calling for “meaningful” engagement with the Afghan Taliban government.
PM Shehbaz arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday for a two-day visit, representing Pakistan at the SCO meetings with leaders and diplomats from China, India, Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan, focusing on economic and security cooperation.
In his speech, the prime minister highlighted the necessity of regional peace for economic development. He emphasized that achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan is crucial to this goal and urged the international community to engage with the Afghan government to meet their economic and development needs.
He also stressed that the Afghan government must take concrete measures to prevent its territory from being used for terrorism against other states. PM Shehbaz condemned all forms of terrorism, including state terrorism, stating there is no justification for killing innocent people or using terrorism for political gain.
Touching on globalisation, he urged leaders to rise above partisan geopolitics and collaborate for a prosperous future. He also highlighted Pakistan’s strategic location as an ideal trade conduit for the region and noted that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) supports SCO’s vision of regional connectivity and economic interaction.
PM Shehbaz advocated for using national currencies for mutual settlements within the region to avoid global financial shocks, suggesting that alternative funding mechanisms could boost development projects in the SCO region. He committed Pakistan to contributing to efforts to improve living standards in the SCO region, particularly amid rising political and military conflicts and increasing food and fuel prices.
PM Shehbaz suggests Putin renew trade under barter system On Wednesday, PM Shehbaz met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, proposing the renewal and expansion of trade under a barter system to overcome financial and banking issues. He recalled the bilateral trade and barter system between Pakistan and Russia in the 1950s and 1960s and suggested its renewal would benefit Pakistan.
President Putin noted the cordial relations between Pakistan and Russia, enhanced by trade linkages, and expressed readiness to promote cooperation in energy, agriculture, and food security.
Tripartite mechanisms PM Shehbaz also proposed establishing tripartite institutional mechanisms in economic and investment areas to strengthen Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan economic and commercial cooperation. During the Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, he emphasized the value of Pakistan’s fraternal ties with Azerbaijan and Turkiye, based on mutual respect and support.
