OFFICIALS from an international security group founded to counter Western alliances met in Pakistan’s capital to discuss how to boost security cooperation and economic ties.
Yesterday’s meeting of the heads of the council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) began with opening remarks from the host country’s leader, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government is struggling against insurgencies and one of the country’s worst economic crises.
SCO was founded in 2001 by China and Russia to counter Western alliances. Other members include Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Sharif thanked the guests for attending, saying: “Your presence here today underscores our shared commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of our people to ensure collective security and to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation for sustainable development and prosperity of the SCO region.”He also called for a peaceful Afghanistan and said its soil should not be used for violence against any country.
His remarks came amid a surge in violence for which Pakistan blames the extremists who are based in Afghanistan.
Kabul has denied the charge, with Afghanistan’s Taliban government saying it does not allow anyone to use its soil for violence against any country.
Pakistan deployed troops and additional police in Islamabad to ensure security during the SCO meeting. Among those attending were Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and the prime ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Mongolia. — AP
