BEIJING: The upcoming general elections in Pakistan do not affect its interaction with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) or other global bodies. The SCO works with states, regardless of the government in power, said Director General SCO at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Altamash Wazir Khan.
Regarding the SCO development bank, he said that experts were currently working on the drafts and it may take some time but progress was being made. The idea is not just about constructing a building, but also about creating a whole financial system which takes time for it to be realized, he added.
Khan also talked about the efforts of the de-escalation of tensions between Pakistan and Iran and the Iranian Foreign Minister’s recent trip to Pakistan.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian recently visited Pakistan, when both countries announced the establishment of a high-level consultative mechanism to oversee the progress in different areas of cooperation between the two nations, including counter-terrorism.
Khan made the above remarks during a recent meeting between coordinators of the SCO member states and media representatives in Beijing.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had previously announced that February 8 would be the official date for polls in the country. The Pakistani coordinator stressed that the election results will not influence its ties with the SCO and other international organizations.
Pakistan’s main focus in SCO
He emphasized that Islamabad’s main focus in the SCO is on mutual benefit and economic development, as well as humanitarian cooperation. Security is also a priority, but bilateral discussions on sensitive matters are avoided.
When asked about Pakistan’s priorities at the SCO, he highlighted Pakistan’s focus is on financial cooperation, humanitarian cooperation, economic cooperation, and connectivity. He said that connectivity not only includes physical infrastructure like ailways and roads but also connectivity among people through digital platforms.
Talking about the role that the SCO can play in the Afghan issue, he said that official contact with Kabul is currently not possible. The SCO operates based on consensus, and official contact cannot be established until all member nations recognize the Taliban government.
