Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the 25th Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said that being present in Tianjin was a matter of great pride for him.
He emphasized that Tianjin represents China’s fundamental values and serves as a bridge between civilizations and cultures. He added that the gathering reflected a renewal of the spirit that China had given practical shape to.
The prime minister expressed his gratitude to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government for the excellent arrangements and said that the SCO symbolized Pakistan’s lasting commitment. He noted that China’s leadership on the global stage was evident not only within the SCO but also across many other significant international initiatives. The presence of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, he said, had further added importance to the summit.
PM Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that Pakistan has always believed in multilateralism, dialogue, and the power of diplomacy. He underscored that nothing is more important than the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. Any country that fails to respect these “red lines,” he warned, becomes a direct threat to global peace and order.
He highlighted that earlier this year, Pakistan faced an unprovoked external aggression from a country that has repeatedly violated the sovereignty of its neighbors. The attack, carried out under false pretenses without credible evidence, claimed the lives of innocent civilians, including women and children, pushing the region dangerously close to the brink of nuclear war.
Condemning the weaponization of water, the prime minister stressed that water is the lifeline of the Pakistani people and cannot be subjected to coercion. He reaffirmed that Pakistan has always adhered to the charters of both the United Nations and the SCO and will continue to do so.
Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned Israel’s aggression against Iran, terming it unjustified and unacceptable. He said that the conflict was deliberately ignited at a time when Iran was nearing peace negotiations. He also pointed to the ongoing suffering in Gaza, describing the cycle of violence, hunger, and deprivation as an indelible scar on the world’s conscience and a violation of universal human rights and principles of justice. He once again called for an immediate end to the violence and reaffirmed Pakistan’s longstanding support for a two-state solution.
The Prime Minister stated that attempts to unilaterally alter the status of disputed territories must always be condemned. He identified terrorism, separatism, and extremism as grave threats to the entire region and stressed that Pakistan unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
He added that the world no longer accepts the false narratives of those countries that exploit terrorism for political gain. Evidence exists, he said, of foreign involvement in terrorist incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the perpetrators as well as their facilitators must be held accountable.
Highlighting Pakistan’s sacrifices, the Prime Minister noted that the country has lost more than 90,000 lives in the fight against terrorism. He suggested that the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure should adopt a comprehensive and effective strategy to counter this menace.
