Bilawal Says Forget Weaponising Terrorism for Diplomatic Point Scoring

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that collective security of our peoples is our joint responsibility and terrorism continues to threaten global security.

Addressing  SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting at Goa in India, he said “let’s not get caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring. He added people of Pakistan have suffered the most in terms of number of attacks and number of casualties due to terrorisms. He added Pakistan is firmly committed to be part of regional and global efforts for eradicating the menace of terrorisms which required comprehensive approach and collective approach. “Our success requires us to isolate this issue from geo-political partisanship”, said Bilawal.

He sated we must stop conflating non-state actors with state actors. FM condemned all forms of terrorism including state sponsored terrorism. He said, the SCO RATS needs to be further strengthened to effectively address the growing threats to peace and security in the SCO space.

Pakistan’s FM expressed honor for me to represent Pakistan at the SCO-CFM.

Talking about the situation in Afghanistan, he said it is new challenges and opportunities. We continue to call the international community to meaningfully engage with the Interim Afghan Government to better understand and influence the course of events.

He stated a united international community must continue to urge the Afghan authorities to adopt universally-accepted principles of political inclusivity, and respecting the rights of all Afghans, including girls’ right to education. The international community should also help build their counter-terrorism capacity for the security of Afghanistan, the region and the world at large. said Bilawal.

He called on the Interim Afghan Authorities to uphold their commitments on not allowing the use of Afghan soil for terrorism. He added a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is a key to regional integration and economic cooperation. Bilawal expressed the hope, the SCO Afghanistan Contact Group can play a role in coordinating practical cooperation with Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan remains committed to multilateralism and continues to play a leading role at all international forums, including the United Nations, for forging friendly relations among nations and supporting the peaceful settlement of longstanding international disputes.

Pakistan strongly believes in and fully adheres to the principles of mutual trust, equality, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of shared development enshrined in the original “Shanghai Spirit”, he added.

These principles are in perfect alignment with Pakistan’s own vision of enhanced regional economic connectivity and win-win cooperation.

Talking about China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said, the project is similar be a force multiplier for regional connectivity. For too long, we have lamented the lack of connectivity between our economies – an impediment to regional trade and investment. CPEC does not only connect Pakistan to its neighbor China. CPEC offers all countries invested in the commonality of the future of this region to take the journey further and connect the dots towards full regional economic integration, he added.

FM Zardari, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support and commitment to the SCO’s goals and objectives.

We congratulate brotherly Iran, which would soon become the newest member of the SCO family. We welcome the accession of Bahrain, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar and the United Arab Emirates as new Dialogue Partners. And look forward to welcoming Belarus as a full member in the near future.

Shedding light on the climate crisis which posed an existential threat to humanity, Bilawal Zardari said poverty haunts all societies and noble attempts to meet this challenge still have a long way to go. He said it also need collective  efforts to resolve the challenges.  He said ooverty still plagues this region. We can only overcome this challenge through common efforts and by learning from each other’s experiences. China offers us hope, shows us how it can be done – lifting 800 million people out of poverty in less than 40 years, said FM. He said, developed countries must hold up to their commitment of providing US $ 100 billion annually for climate finance.

“Pakistan also propose the establishment of a Joint Working Group in SCO on Climate Change”.

On the other hand, FM Bilawal also met with Tajikistan’s FM Sirodjiddin Mukhriddin on the sidelines and discussed broad spectrum of bilateral relations and agreed to further strengthen economic ties and early completion of connectivity projects in particular CASA-1000.