ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday addressed the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) conference 2020 via video link.
PM Imran Khan was invited to attend the SCO-CHS by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who chaired the online meeting. Leaders from all eight SCO member states and four observer states were in attendance, together with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Secretary-General of SCO Rashid Alimov.
During his address, PM Imran Khan said that Pakistan believes in the council’s objectives related to different global and regional matters.
Highlighting the country’s role in the council’s multi-sectoral agenda for regional peace and security, PM Khan said that Pakistan has been on the forefront of the struggle against terrorism for a long time.
“It is critical to address terrorism in all its forms,” the premier said. “We must also continue to steadfastly oppose extremist and xenophobic tendencies — including racist ideologies inspired by neo-Nazis — and Islamophobia.
PM Khan stressed that as part of its agenda, all SCO members countries must join hands to oppose divisive policies based on prejudice and discrimination and focus on building interfaith and cross-cultural bridges.
He also appealed to the council to call “for mutual respect for all religions and beliefs”, building upon his demand for peace and harmony across the world.
The premier had earlier decided to internationally raise the issue of controversial caricatures in France that have angered Muslims across the world. In a letter shared on Twitter last month, he had urged leaders of the Islamic world to “take the initiative to call for an end to this cycle of hate and violence”.