TIANJIN: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised that terrorism remains a serious threat to regional and global stability, and warned that the international community no longer accepts those who use terrorism as a tool for political gain.
He strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state-sponsored terrorism, stating: "Those who have long used terrorism to advance political interests must know the world no longer buys this fictitious narrative."
Addressing the SCO (Plus), held here on Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan possesses irrefutable evidence of foreign involvement in the Jaffar Express train hostage incident, as well as numerous other terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The prime minister strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, and underlined that Pakistan has rendered great sacrifices in combatting terrorism -- not only for its own national security but also for the stability of the region and the wider international community, a Prime Minister's Office news release said.
Referring to Pakistan's approach towards regional relations, Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan seeks normal relations with all its neighbours and prefers dialogue and diplomacy over confrontation. To ensure lasting peace in South Asia, he called for a comprehensive and structured dialogue to address all outstanding disputes. Hoping that all SCO members follow these principles, he called for unhindered access to due share of water as per existing treaties among the SCO member states. In the context of relations with neighbours, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan sought normal relations with all its neighbours and preferred dialogue and diplomacy over confrontation. To ensure a lasting peace in South Asia, he called for a comprehensive and structured dialogue to discuss all outstanding disputes.
He expressed Pakistan's resolve to support President Xi Jinping's landmark announcement to launch the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). He said it was a historic step towards a stronger multilateral system. The initiative aligns with the UN Charter, and will help make the global governance system more responsive to the needs of developing countries, and address contemporary challenges facing humanity, he added, expressing Pakistan''s willingness to actively participate in the initiative. The prime minister congratulated the Chinese President Xi Jinping for the successful conduct of SCO Summit and appreciated The Tianjin Declaration that he hoped will foster the shared goal of peace and prosperity in the region. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the "Shanghai Spirit" that stands for mutual trust and respect for shared prosperity and development.
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of UN and SCO Charters, he underscored that Pakistan respected sovereignty and territorial integrity of all SCO members as well as all international and bilateral treaties. The prime minister outlined the government's economic transformation plan, that is founded on three pillars: expansion of trade, innovation and enhanced revenue generation. The prime minister unequivocally denounced Israel's inhuman military offensive against Gaza and heinous crimes against innocent Palestinians and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and resolution of the dispute according to the United Nations Security Council resolutions. He condemned attack on Iran, a fellow SCO member state.
Reiterating the negative implications of instability in Afghanistan on the development of entire SCO region, Prime Minister Sharif called for engagement with Afghanistan in a meaningful manner. Shehbaz highly praised SCO's vision of regional connectivity and economic integration and underscored Pakistan's strategic geographical location as an ideal trade and transit hub for the entire SCO region. He said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was a key initiative for achieving trans-regional economic and trade integration.
Shehbaz also emphasized the importance of shared responsibility in the current climate crises whereby, underdeveloped countries like Pakistan are being constantly facing climate change induced disasters, even though their share in global emissions is less than only one per cent. He stressed that the global leadership needs to shoulder the burden as further inaction will lead to more loss of lives and livelihoods. He also emphasised Pakistan's preference of dialogue over conflict and resolution of all disputes through peaceful means.
The Council of State Heads discussed important regional and international strategic political, security and economic issues, challenges and developments. The Council approved and adopted several decisions and statements in various areas of cooperation. Besides adopting the Tianjin Declaration that outlines the views of SCO leadership on important regional and global issues of interest to the Organization, the CHS adopted statements of cooperation among SCO countries on: multilateral trading system; artificial intelligence; strengthening scientific, technical and innovative cooperation; green industry cooperation and others.
The Heads of State signed two agreements establishing two new permanent bodies of SCO i. e. Universal Center in Moscow and an Anti-Drug Center in Dushanbe. The Council also approved various plans and strategies for the ongoing cooperation in the economic and security fields. The SCO Development Strategy until 2035 was also adopted.
In his statement during the SCO CHS Plus meeting on the theme "Promoting multilateralism a reality, ensuring regional security, and promoting sustainable development", Prime Minister Sharif stressed the need for multilateralism and respecting the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and resolution of disputes through peaceful means. Expressing Pakistan's firm belief in the promise and power of multilateralism, he advised to uphold dialogue, mutual respect and inclusive diplomacy. He advocated that SCO must prioritize innovation-driven growth. He welcomed SCO's commitment to cooperation in development and assured that Pakistan would contribute as a reliable partner.
The prime minister welcomed Laos People's Democratic Republic as new Dialogue Partner of SCO. On the sidelines of these summits, the prime minister had important bilateral meetings with the presidents of SCO member states and dialogue partner states. Issues of mutual interest and matters relating to further strengthening political, economic and trade relations were discussed by the leaders.
Earlier, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir's (IIOJK) Pahalgam area, on the Jaffar Express, and in Khuzdar. They pledged deeper multilateral cooperation and concrete measures to combat terrorism.
In a joint statement issued after the Council of Heads of State meeting in Tianjin, the leaders emphasised that the perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of such attacks must be held accountable. They reaffirmed their strong commitment to fighting terrorism, separatism, and extremism. SCO member states underlined that using terrorist and extremist groups for political or selfish purposes is unacceptable. They also recognised the primary role of sovereign states in countering these threats.
The declaration, signed by all SCO members, highlighted the importance of multilateral cooperation in tackling terrorism and its financing. It referenced the outcome of the International High-Level Conference on Border Security, held under the Dushanbe Process. The next round of the conference will be held in New York in 2026. They expressed appreciation for the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), which supports joint counterterrorism exercises, information-sharing, and monitoring efforts. They acknowledged the results of the joint anti-terrorism drills, Interaction - Anti-Terror - 2024, conducted in Xinjiang region last July. They also affirmed their readiness to expand such initiatives.
To combat extremist ideology, SCO members adopted a new 2026-2030 Programme of Cooperation. This programme is designed to implement the Convention on Countering Extremism, signed in Astana in 2017. It focuses on preventing the spread of radical ideologies, religious intolerance, xenophobia, aggressive nationalism, and racial discrimination within the SCO region. The member states also addressed the situation in the Middle East. They stressed that the only way to ensure peace and stability is through a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue. The leaders strongly condemned the military strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran in June 2025. "Such aggressive actions against civilian targets, including nuclear energy infrastructure, which resulted in the death of civilians, constitute a gross violation of the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter, and an infringement on the sovereignty of Iran," the declaration stated. The SCO members also stressed the importance of physical nuclear safety and security. They stated this must be ensured on a permanent basis, including during periods of armed conflict, in order to protect both populations and the environment.
The summit, aimed at putting Beijing at the centre of regional relations, saw Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin criticise the West in their respective speeches. President Putin used his speech to defend Russia's actions in Ukraine. He claimed the conflict, now in its fourth year, was triggered by the West. "This crisis wasn't caused by Russia's attack on Ukraine, but by a coup in Ukraine that was supported and provoked by the West," he said. "The second reason is the West's ongoing efforts to pull Ukraine into NATO."
Putin noted that the SCO had revived "genuine multilateralism", especially through increasing use of national currencies in mutual settlements. "This lays the political and socio-economic foundation for a new system of stability and security in Eurasia," he said. "Unlike Euro-centric and Euro-Atlantic models, this system would truly reflect the interests of a broad range of countries. It would be balanced and would not allow one country to pursue its own security at the expense of others."
President Xi told SCO leaders that the international situation was becoming increasingly "chaotic and intertwined". He criticised what he called "bullying behaviour" by certain countries -- a thinly veiled reference to the United States. "The security and development tasks facing member states have become even more challenging," Xi said during his address in the northern port city of Tianjin. "With the world undergoing turbulence and transformation, we must continue to follow the Shanghai Spirit and better perform the functions of the organisation."
President Xi promoted his vision for a new global security and economic order -- the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). This initiative prioritises the "Global South" and directly challenges the influence of the United States. "We must continue to take a clear stand against hegemonism and power politics, and practise true multilateralism," Xi said, criticising past U.S. policies, including former President Donald Trump's use of tariffs. "Global governance has reached a new crossroads." He outlined five principles behind the GGI: upholding sovereign equality, abiding by international law, practising multilateralism, adopting a people-centred approach, and focusing on practical action.
President Xi also proposed the creation of a new SCO development bank. This would be a major step towards the bloc's goal of building an alternative payment system that avoids reliance on the U.S. dollar and U.S. sanctions. China will provide 2 billion yuan (approximately $280 million) in free aid to SCO member states this year. An additional 10 billion yuan in loans will be made available through the SCO banking consortium. Xi added that China will establish an artificial intelligence cooperation centre for SCO nations. Member states are also invited to participate in China's lunar research station project.