Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, says lasting peace cannot be established in the region as long as armed groups continue to use Afghan territory to carry out attacks against Pakistan and other neighboring countries.
Shehbaz Sharif made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
He said Pakistan has lost more than 90,000 people to terrorism over the past more than two decades and has suffered economic losses exceeding $150 billion.
The Pakistani prime minister stressed that Islamabad wants a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan. However, he said the continued activities of armed groups from Afghan territory pose a serious threat to regional security.
Shehbaz Sharif added that Pakistan, as the head of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, is seeking to further expand security cooperation among the organization’s member states.
The Taliban have repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s claims that Afghan territory is being used to carry out attacks against Pakistan. The Taliban government says it does not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against other countries.
Islamabad, meanwhile, insists that, in order to reduce tensions and resume dialogue, the Taliban must take “clear and verifiable” measures against armed groups.
At the same time, several Central Asian countries, alongside Pakistan, have also expressed concerns about security threats emanating from Afghan territory. Disagreements between Pakistan and the Taliban over the issue have strained relations between the two sides in recent months and have also affected trade and cross-border movement.
In its final declaration from the Bishkek meeting, the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization also called for the establishment of a government in Afghanistan that includes broad participation from the country’s various ethnic and political groups. The Taliban, however, have said that their current government is inclusive and includes representatives of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
