Jaishankar criticises Pakistan for fostering 'Three Evils' at SCO meeting
- In Reports
- 04:21 PM, Oct 16, 2024
- Myind Staff
At the 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly criticised Pakistan, accusing it of encouraging terrorism, separatism, and extremism. His remarks come as tensions between India and Pakistan have heightened, particularly following recent terror attacks traced to Pakistan.
Addressing the gathering, which included Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Jaishankar emphasised the necessity of peace and stability for regional development, warning that such progress would remain out of reach if cross-border extremism continues. “It is axiomatic that development and growth require peace and stability. And as the (SCO) Charter spelt out, this means being firm and uncompromising in countering the ‘three evils,’” Jaishankar stated.
He further explained that these destructive activities, if unchecked, hinder regional cooperation in areas like trade, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. “If activities across borders are characterised by terrorism, extremism, and separatism, they are hardly likely to encourage trade, energy flows, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges in parallel,” he said.
Jaishankar also pointed out that Pakistan’s actions undermine SCO’s core values of trust, friendship, and cooperation. He stressed the need for introspection and addressing the root causes of such issues. “If trust is lacking or cooperation inadequate if friendship has fallen short and good neighbourliness is missing somewhere, there are surely reasons to introspect and causes to address,” he remarked.
In his speech, the minister also highlighted the importance of global cooperation being rooted in mutual respect, sovereign equality, and territorial integrity. “It (cooperation) must be built on genuine partnerships, not unilateral agendas. It cannot progress if we cherry-pick global practices, especially of trade and transit,” he added.
Beyond security concerns, Jaishankar called for reforms in global institutions like the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), advocating for greater representation from developing nations. He underscored India’s stance that the SCO should lead efforts toward "reformed multilateralism" to create a more inclusive and democratic system of global governance.
The meeting, hosted in Islamabad on October 15 and 16, saw India’s participation despite the frosty relations between the two neighbours. This marked the first visit of an Indian external affairs minister to Pakistan in nine years. Nonetheless, tensions between the countries persist, primarily due to disputes over Kashmir and ongoing cross-border terrorism.
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