TIANJIN: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday accused foreign powers of using terrorism as a political weapon and warned that undeniable evidence links external actors to recent attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Sharif said Pakistan had lost more than 90,000 lives in the war on terror and demanded that those responsible for “heinous crimes” be held accountable. He specifically cited the attack on the Jaffar Express as evidence of cross-border involvement.
Sharif stressed that terrorism, separatism, and extremism threaten the entire region and urged SCO members to strengthen the bloc’s Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure. “False narratives used to justify terrorism for political objectives no longer hold credibility,” he said.
The Pakistani leader also condemned an “unwarranted act of external aggression” earlier this year, accusing a neighboring state of violating Pakistan’s sovereignty on a false pretext and killing civilians, including women and children. He warned that such actions risked pushing South Asia “to the brink of nuclear confrontation.”
Sharif thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for hosting the summit and described the SCO as a symbol of Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism and diplomacy. He said respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity must remain the “red lines” of international order.
He denounced the “weaponization of water,” calling it Pakistan’s lifeline, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the UN Charter and SCO principles.
Turning to the Middle East, Sharif condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran, describing them as a deliberate attempt to derail peace talks. He also highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling hunger and deprivation a violation of universal human rights.
Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution to the Palestine conflict and rejected unilateral attempts to alter the status of disputed territories.
“The sacrifices of our people in fighting terrorism cannot be ignored,” he told SCO leaders. “Perpetrators and facilitators of terrorism must face justice.”
