TIANJIN, Tuesday, July 15, 2025 (WNP): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Tuesday delivered a strongly-worded address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Tianjin, China, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional stability, multilateral cooperation, and peaceful dispute resolution.
In a comprehensive policy statement at the high-level forum, Dar hailed the SCO as a stabilizing force in a world facing deepening geopolitical turbulence, and lauded China’s leadership in advancing the organization’s vision. He also welcomed Belarus as the newest full member of the bloc.
Dar did not mince words in condemning Israel’s military aggression in Gaza, describing it as a “reckless disregard for international norms” that had triggered a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. He called for an immediate ceasefire and reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
He also denounced recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, calling such attacks on a fellow SCO member state “unacceptable.”
Turning to South Asia, the foreign minister expressed grave concern over heightened tensions in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, warning that allegations and provocations had nearly brought two nuclear-armed neighbors to the brink.
“Pakistan remains committed to ceasefire agreements and regional stability, but we cannot accept the normalization of arbitrary force,” Dar asserted.
He called for structured and sustained dialogue to resolve long-standing disputes in the region and cautioned against the use of coercive tactics.
Dar also pitched for institutional reforms within the SCO, proposing the adoption of English as a third official language to enhance communication and coordination among member states. He called for strengthening the SCO Secretariat’s capacity and advocated the creation of an alternative development financing mechanism to cushion member states from external economic shocks.
He further pushed for greater use of national currencies in trade, aiming to reduce dependency on external monetary systems and increase regional financial stability.
Highlighting Pakistan’s central role in regional connectivity, Dar termed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a “flagship project of shared prosperity” under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with far-reaching benefits for SCO member countries.
The Deputy PM urged renewed efforts to stabilize Afghanistan through the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, emphasizing the need for regional alignment in supporting peace and reconstruction efforts in the war-torn country.
He also stressed the importance of a unified approach to counterterrorism, rejecting its politicization or selective application, and flagged climate change as an existential threat requiring joint regional response mechanisms.
In his closing remarks, Dar called on SCO members to embrace the “Shanghai Spirit”—mutual trust, respect, and cooperation—and pursue a future defined “not by confrontation, but by collaboration.”
His remarks were received as a clear call for principled multilateralism, a rules-based order, and greater unity among SCO nations amid growing global instability.
