‘SCO members agree not to abandon Afghanistan’

DUSHANBE: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said the participants of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit have mutually agreed not to leave Afghanistan alone at this critical juncture in order to strengthen the war-ravaged country.

Talking to the media persons here on Thursday, he said all the participating countries had expressed the resolve to work together for bringing stability in Afghanistan, adding Pakistan was playing a key role in this regard.

“We have to work with Afghanistan so as to move forward for establishing a broad-based government in the war-ravaged country,” the minister said, adding: “Afghanistan is at a crossroads and the entire leadership of regional countries is cognizant of the prevailing situation.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said, had apprised the summit participants that unstable Afghanistan would cast negative impacts on the entire region.

On the sideline of the summit, the Prime Minister held meetings with the heads of SCO member countries — including the presidents of Belarus, Uzbekistan, Iran and Kazakhstan, he added.

Chaudhry said the leadership of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Pakistan were present at the SCO summit, and added that Chinese foreign minister was due to arrive here on Friday.