Pakistan, Tajikistan agree to promote land-based connectivity at Islamabad meeting

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the World Governments Summit in Dubai today, Tuesday, with his speech focusing on his country’s vision for inclusive economic growth, his office said in a statement. 

Over 400 ministers and thousands of industry leaders, experts, and policymakers are taking part in the summit from Feb. 11-13. As per the WGS, the event will also welcome over 80 international, regional and intergovernmental organizations to join a discussion on the future of governance, global challenges and their innovative solutions. 

Sharif arrived on his second visit to the UAE since assuming office in March last year with a high-level delegation on Monday. The prime minister spoke to investors and is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on Tuesday highlighting Pakistan’s vision for inclusive economic growth, digital transformation and governance reforms, the foreign office said in a statement earlier. 

“The Prime Minister will represent Pakistan at the World Governments Summit in Dubai and will address it live on Pakistan Television,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. 

It added that Sharif will also meet the UAE’s vice president, the prime minister and ruler of Dubai, the Sri Lankan president, the chairperson of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and investors in the UAE during his trip. 

Sharif spoke to investors in the UAE on Monday, saying that Islamabad was having a “very close interaction” with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in minerals and mining sectors. 

The summit is an important event for Pakistan, which has reached out to regional allies and economic partners in recent months to escape a prolonged economic crisis that has drained its resources and triggered inflation in the country. 

The WGS was established in 2013 under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE’s vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai. The organization says since then its leadership has continued to champion the mission of shaping future governments and creating a better future for humanity. 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram has called for global action against religiously motivated militants such as Daesh, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the separatist Majeed Brigade outfits, alleging that over two dozen “terrorist groups” are operating from Afghanistan which are a threat to the entire region and beyond. 

Pakistan has suffered a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan. The TTP or the Pakistani Taliban have carried out attacks against civilians and law enforcers in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces while the Majeed Brigade, a specialized unit of the Baloch Liberation Army, have scaled attacks in the southwestern Balochistan province. 

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to take action against militants that it says are using Afghan soil to launch attacks against Pakistan, a charge the Taliban-led government denies. Pakistan last year conducted cross-border strikes into Afghanistan against alleged militant targets, escalating tensions with its western neighbor. 

Akram made the comments during the UN Security Council briefings on “Threats to international peace & security caused by terrorist acts,” Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN shared on social media platform X on Tuesday. 

“While strongly rejecting any imputation that an ISIL-K/Daesh recruitment is taking place inside the country, Pakistan has urged the international community to take greater cognizance of the renewed terrorist threat posed by the TTP, Majeed Brigade and Daesh,” the mission said. 

“He stated in unequivocal terms that over two dozen terrorist groups are operating inside Afghanistan, which is also the ‘main hub for ISIL-K’s recruitment and facilitation,’ as is confirmed by the UN Monitoring Team’s recent report.”

Akram pointed out that Pakistan had defeated Al-Qaeda and other militant networks within its borders, adding that the South Asian country continues to confront “terrorist threats” such as the TTP, Daesh and the Majeed Brigade operating from safe havens across the border.

He demanded addressing root causes of militancy such as poverty, injustice, prolonged unresolved conflicts, foreign occupation and denial of the right of self-determination to people. 

“Without addressing the root causes, we can hope for little success if our focus remains restricted to the consequences of such policies,” he maintained.

Akram pointed out that it was unfortunate how counter-terrorism policies have often equated Islam with extremism, adding that such misplaced notions fuel Islamophobia and further radicalization.

He condemned “terrorism” in all its forms, saying Pakistan was one of the countries worldwide leading the battle against militancy. 

“For more than four decades, we have remained at the forefront of global counter terrorism efforts and been a principle target of terrorist attacks, financed by our adversaries in the region and we have paid a heavy price in innocent human life; lost 80,000 casualties and enormous damage to our economy,” Akram said.