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Pakistani FM calls for joint efforts to address roots of terrorism

Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari during his address to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on Friday called for joint efforts to address the root causes of terrorism.

According to the Pakistan Foreign Office, Bilawal during his address emphasized the importance of greater cooperation among SCO countries in tackling terrorism, calling for joint efforts to address the root causes of the issue.

“The collective security of our peoples is our joint responsibility. Let’s not get caught up in weaponizing terrorism for diplomatic point scoring,” said the Foreign Minister.

He said that Pakistan is committed to multilateralism for forging friendly relations among nations and supporting the peaceful settlement of longstanding international disputes.

Speaking at the SCO meeting in Goa, Bilawal said that unilateral and illegal measures by states in violation of international law and Security Council resolutions run counter to the SCO objectives.

He said it is imperative that willful provocations and incitement to hate, especially on religious grounds, are roundly condemned. “It is our collective duty to fight against fascism and historical revisionism that is leading to violent ultra nationalism anywhere in the world .. we must ensure that racism and xenophobic ideologies have no place in today’s world and fundamental human rights and freedoms are guaranteed to all.” The minister made it clear that his country condemns all forms of terrorism including state sponsored terrorism. He said conflating non-state actors with state actors must be stopped.

“We must address the root causes as well as the threats posed by specific groups,” he said, adding that Pakistan is firmly committed to be part of regional and global efforts for eradicating this menace.

On the issue of Afghanistan, Zardari called upon the international community to meaningfully engage with the Interim Afghan Government to better understand and influence the course of events.

He said the international community must continue to urge the Afghan authorities to adopt universally-accepted principles of political inclusivity, and respecting the rights of all Afghans, including girls’ right to education.

The international community should also help build their counter-terrorism capacity for the security of Afghanistan, the region and the world at large, the Foreign Minister added.

He also called on the Interim Afghan Authorities to uphold their commitments on not allowing the use of Afghan soil for terrorism. He urged the global community to work towards addressing these security concerns to unlock the true potential of not only Afghanistan but the region as a whole. He said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is a key not only to regional integration and economic cooperation but also to global peace and stability.

Source: Kuwait News Agency