PM Shehbaz Urges Dialogue on Indus Waters Treaty at SCO Summit
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) summit in China on Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif brought up the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) issue and called for a “structural” dialogue on all unresolved issues.
PM Shehbaz arrived in China on Saturday to attend the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) summit, which is scheduled to take place from August 31 to September 1.
In addition to Pakistan, the SCO is made up of China, India, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, with 16 other countries participating as observers or “dialogue partners.”
“We respect all international and bilateral treaties and expect similar principles to be followed by all SCO members,” PM Shehbaz said at the summit today, seemingly referring to fellow SCO member India’s unilateral decision to put the IWT on hold.April.
At the summit in Tianjin, China, he emphasised that “uninterrupted access to due share of water as per existing treaties among SCO members will strengthen the SCO working smoothly and will support the achievement of broader goals for which the SCO was established.”
Following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, occupied Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives and which New Delhi blamed without proof on Islamabad, India placed the IWT under abeyance.
Pakistan branded any attempt to stop its water sharing a “act of war”. Earlier this month, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague issued a “Supplemental Award of Competence” in the case, ruling that India cannot unilaterally hold the treaty in abeyance.
“I will request your consideration to lead this dialogue under your sagacious leadership so that they can have its dividends as early as possible,” PM Shehbaz said at the SCO summit, calling for a “comprehensive and structural dialogue to discuss all outstanding disputes.”
Pakistan wants a “normal and stable relationship with all its neighbours,” the prime minister reiterated. He emphasised that “it seeks dialogue and diplomacy over conflict and confrontation.”
Pakistan has always valued multilateralism, communication, and diplomacy over unilateralism, according to PM Shehbaz.
Nevertheless, the previous few months have seen incredibly unsettling changes in the area, much to our dismay and disappointment.He continued by saying, “Pakistan supports and respects the sovereignty and integrity of all SCO members and its neighbours.”
“Along with all SCO members and the SCO chairman, we will keep working to advance prosperity and development throughout the region and to guarantee enduring peace in South Asia,” PM Shehbaz promised.
“Pakistan will always uphold the values that are important to all of us for our common welfare and has always complied with the UN and SCO charters.
Pakistan has always supported communication and diplomacy, consultation over conflict, as a country that values peace,” he reaffirmed.
The premier also emphasised the devastating floods that Pakistan was once again experiencing during his speech.In addition to pointing out the significant loss of life and animals as well as the serious damage to infrastructure and agriculture, PM Shehbaz stated, “My country is once again passing through unprecedented torrential rains, cloudbursts, and massive devastation due to consequent flooding in three of our major rivers.”
He praised the rescue and reconstruction efforts of “my brave and resilient people” and stated, “We highly appreciate the international community’s solidarity, sympathy, and support with us, including China’s.
The prime minister began by stating that the port city of Tianjin, the site of the summit, embodied “China’s core values as a connector and bridge of cultures and civilisation.
“He expressed gratitude to President Xi and his administration for their kind hospitality and superb preparations for the SCO meeting. Additionally, the premier wished Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan a happy national holiday yesterday and today, respectively.
“For us, the SCO is a platform that best represents Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to regional cooperation and integration,” PM Shehbaz added. President Xi’s wise and inspiring leadership is evident in China’s successful term as SCO chair.
He emphasised that China’s “global leadership” was demonstrated not just by the bloc but also by historic projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative.”
Unquestionable proof that foreigners are involved in terrorism on Pakistani soil” PM Shehbaz brought up the subject of terrorism during the SCO summit, claiming that Pakistan had “irrefutable evidence of involvement of some foreign hands” in the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express.
On March 11, the 440-passenger train from Quetta to Peshawar was hijacked close to the Sibi region of Balochistan, killing at least 26 people on board, including 18 security guards.
The military claimed that throughout the two-day clearance operation, “all 33 terrorists” were neutralised.
“There is unquestionable proof that some foreign individuals were involved in the horrific Jaffar Express train hostage situation and innumerable other terrorist attacks against us in Pakistan’s Balochistan and KP provinces,” the premier stated atDays following the kidnapping, the military spokesperson asserted that India was the primary supporter “in this terrorist incident in Balochistan and others prior.
“We use all of the power at our disposal to denounce terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism in both explicit and implicit terms,” he continued.
PM Shehbaz reaffirmed that Pakistan has suffered economic losses of more than $152 billion and sacrificed over 90,000 precious lives in the fight against terrorism, citing the nation’s “great sacrifices in combating terrorism not only for its own self but for the region and far beyond.”
The premier declared that there “cannot be a bigger manifestation of our unwavering commitment to defeat terrorism with the cooperation of all SCO members and global powers around the globe,” calling it “a sacrifice which has no parallel in history.”
SOURCE: DAWN News
