Water must never be weaponised; terror attacks from Afghan territory must end: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, calling water a “lifeblood” of the region to sustain millions of lives and secure the future of coming generations, said that it must never be weaponised or used for political coercion.

“Water is the lifeblood of our region that sustains millions of lives, nourishes our lands and secures the very future of our coming generations. It must never be weaponised or used for political coercion. The treaties governing our shared waters are binding commitments that must be honoured unconditionally both in letter and spirit,” the prime minister said, addressing the SCO Plus Format meeting, a day after the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains in full force and ordered India to limit ongoing hydroelectric construction in Kashmir.

Addressing the event, themed ‘The UN as a Key Element of the Just World Order: The Contribution of the SCO Plus States to the Formation of a Multipolar World,’ he said that as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Pakistan has been actively contributing to global peacemaking over the past two years.

The meeting was chaired by the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov as the country holds the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation from 2025 to 2026.

“Our humble peace efforts culminated in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. It provides the most viable and enduring pathway to end the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region, and offers a widely accepted basis for all parties to pursue peace through dialogue and diplomacy.”

He said that Pakistan was also a signatory to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement along with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye that has further strengthened prospects for peace in the region by sending a message of unity and common resolve.

The prime minister said that, having been established 80 years ago, the United Nations adopted collective approaches to deal effectively with poverty, hunger, disease, environment, and many other challenges of our times and that Pakistan also remained fully committed to its Charter.

He said that the rising multipolar world was an opportunity to build a more equitable, democratic, and just international system.

“But today, the UN is urgently in need of reform. It must become more accountable and responsive.”

Calling the situation in Gaza and the West Bank “deeply troubling”, Prime Minister Shehbaz called upon the international community to act decisively to end the suffering of the innocent Palestinian people, and uphold their inalienable right to self-determination.

“The same rights must also be granted to all other oppressed nations,” he urged.

Highlighting terrorism as a common threat, he said that Pakistan was fully committed to advancing shared objectives under the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) of dealing with the three evils of “terrorism, separatism and religious extremism”.

“Pakistan will continue to bravely confront and defeat the scourge of terrorism. With over ninety thousand lives lost and $150 billion in economic losses, our nation has stood resolutely in combating terrorism, not just for ourselves, but for the entire world.”

Calling for the condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, he said that the vision of regional connectivity could only be achieved once there was peace and stability in Afghanistan, and called for an end to terrorist groups using Afghan soil to carry out attacks in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.

He said that as Pakistan assumed the Chairmanship of the SCO, the country would be guided by the conviction that the SCO must deliver tangible dividends to its peoples.

“During the next one year, we shall prioritise IT & AI, energy, development and poverty reduction, disaster management, health, culture and sports,” he said and reaffirmed the resolve to realise the true potential of the SCO, seeking cooperation of SCO Member States as well as SCO Plus family.

The prime minister also invited the participating leaders to attend the next session of the format to be held in Islamabad in 2027 as the country assumes the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation from 2026-2027.