Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday underscored the importance of promoting regional cooperation, dialogue, and peace under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) framework.

Addressing the 25th SCO Heads of States Council Meeting, he urged the forum’s leadership to initiate a comprehensive and structured dialogue to resolve longstanding disputes in South Asia.

Highlighting Pakistan’s support for multilateralism, the prime minister said the SCO remained a platform that best represents Pakistan’s abiding commitment to regional cooperation and integration.

“Pakistan has always believed in multilateralism, dialogue, and diplomacy, and rejects unilateralism,” he said, expressing concern over recent troubling developments in the region.

The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s desire for stable and peaceful relations with its neighbours, emphasising dialogue over confrontation.

On regional security, the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation of terrorism in all its forms, including what he termed “state terrorism,” while recalling the country’s immense sacrifices in the fight against extremism.

“We have lost over 90,000 lives and endured economic losses exceeding $152 billion — a sacrifice unparalleled in history,” he said, adding that foreign elements were involved in recent terror incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“We condemn terrorism in all its forms… Those who have long used terrorism to advance their political interest must know that the world no longer buys this narrative. We had irrefutable evidence of the involvement of some foreign hands in the devastating Jaffar Express train hostage incident, as well as countless other terrorist attacks against us in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province,” the prime minister remarked.

The prime minister strongly condemned Israel’s unjustified aggression against Iran, a fellow SCO member, and called for an immediate end to the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the two-state solution with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of Palestine.

As regards Afghanistan, he said Pakistan supports a peaceful and stable Afghanistan for the benefit of the entire region.

He expressed hope that trilateral cooperation between Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan would yield positive results.

Addressing the challenge of climate-induced disasters, the prime minister spoke about the devastating floods triggered by torrential rains, which have led to significant human and economic losses in Pakistan.

He thanked the international community, particularly China, for their solidarity and assistance.

Despite challenges, he noted that Pakistan was on a path of economic recovery, citing reduced inflation, a current account surplus, and rising capital market activity.

He outlined Pakistan’s economic transformation plan, built on three key pillars: export-led growth; foreign investment in infrastructure, agriculture, AI, IT, minerals, and energy; and comprehensive tax reforms.

Underscoring the importance of youth empowerment, the prime minister said Pakistan was creating new opportunities for meaningful employment and innovation, turning its large youth population into an asset for national development.

He also lauded China’s successful chairmanship of the organisation, describing it as a reflection of President Xi Jinping’s visionary leadership, and praised initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The prime minister said today China’s global leadership was exemplified not only through the SCO but also in the landmark initiatives such as Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI), Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI) and Belt and Road initiative, with CPEC serving as its flagship project.

Highlighting the significance of enhanced regional connectivity, PM Shehbaz Sharif called for efficient land, air and rail corridors to ensure reliability of supply chains.

“Expansion of the CPEC can serve as a practical demonstration of SCO’s vision for regional connectivity and economic integration,” he added.

The prime minister also extended his heartfelt felicitation to brotherly countries Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan as they celebrate their national day.