Pakistan supports SCO's anti-terrorism efforts: Tehmina Janjua

Islamabad  :  Pakistan fully supports anti-terrorism efforts by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and will be working with regional countries under the SCO framework to effectively eliminate this menace from the region, a top Pakistani diplomat said on Wednesday.

Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua told a conference of the legal anti-terrorism experts from SCO countries here that she fully supports and welcomes the efforts of SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism.

It is the first ever SCO meeting to be held in Pakistan since it became a member of the SCO in June 2017, the Foreign Ministry said.

Legal experts from the member states, as well as representatives of the SCO-RATS Executive Committee, participated in the day-long meeting.

The experts discussed terrorist threats facing the region and ways and means to enhance counter terrorism cooperation between the SCO member states, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

"We support SCO consensus that as we engage in the fight against terrorism, we must respect the norms and principles of international law, UN Charter and shun double standards. Terrorism cannot and should not be identified with any religion, individual countries or nationalities," Janjua told the delegates.

She said Pakistan strongly believes that the SCO-RATs is an ideal forum for exchange of views and best practices on countering terrorism and extremism, adding that "we hope that other member states can benefit from our rich experience in countering terrorism and extremism as we do from the good practices developed by other SCO members."

"Pakistan is cognizant of the threats posed by terrorism, separatism and extremism to our region and beyond. Having fought terrorism, we have lost thousands of our citizens and law enforcement personnel, with many more injured. We have also suffered economic losses of over $120 billion," the Pakistani diplomat said.

She also underscored the importance of the SCO for Pakistan.