Khawaja Asif discusses defence ties with counterparts at SCO moot

ASTANA: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif met his counterparts from the friendly countries during the annual meeting of the Defence Ministers of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Kazakhstan.

The meeting reviewed the regional security issues, including the defence cooperation initiatives, according to an official statement. The defence minister discussed issues of bilateral defence cooperation with defence ministers of Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Various areas of mutual interest including respective regional security, counter-terrorism, Afghanistan situation and review of national security priorities, extremist threats, border management and maritime security were also deliberated upon.

Addressing the SCO meeting, Asif said the world today was in a state of flux as the nations around the globe were experiencing the fallout of geopolitical changes, arms proliferation, international terrorism, cyber security and transnational organised crimes duly patronised by the sovereign states as well as the non-state actors.

“It is extremely unfortunate to mention that few sovereign states have preferred the path of extrajudicial and extra-territorial assassinations of the citizens of other member states on foreign soil for their own ends,” the defence minister remarked.

The defence minister added that the “unlawful and brazen adventurism” was a deliberate violation of the UN Charter “which calls upon all members to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state”.

“Such myopic and irresponsible behaviour not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term.”

In this era of volatility and unpredictability, where global threats transcend borders, it has become increasingly evident that the path to progress and development resides in fostering mutual cooperation through regional and sub-regional approaches, he added.

In the same speech, the defence minister also expressed concerns over the Afghan situation, saying Afghanistan was of deep concern for Pakistan as terrorism in Pakistan had its roots on Afghan soil. “A joint effort by SCO is direly needed,” he said adding that another grave issue confronting our region and the world is the weaponisation of information.