Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) virtual summit hosted by India on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed on the importance of countering terrorism and emphasised that minorities should not be discriminated against for political gains. “Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms. There can be no justification for the killing of innocent people regardless of the cause or pretext.”He emphasised that religious minorities should not be demonised in the “pursuit of domestic political agendas”. "SCO countries must take concerted and immediate actions, both, in their national capacities as well as collectively...to combat the three evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism." Afghan soil, Modi told the virtual summit of SCO leaders, should not be allowed to be used to destabilise its neighbourhood.

Source: The Express Tribune July 04, 2023 11:31 UTC