Pakistan advocates regional cooperation and expansion of China’s BRI

Pakistan advocated for the expansion of China's ambitious global infrastructure investment projects on Wednesday as leaders from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) reaffirmed their cooperation for peaceful coexistence.

"Flagship projects, like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the International, North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) should be expanded,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in his welcome address to 23rd SCO meeting in Islamabad.

Sharif pointed out that the SCO represents 40% of the world’s population, underscoring the organization’s potential to foster global progress.

In a joint statement at the conclusion of the two-day summit, the leaders reaffirmed their intent to further develop cooperation for security, trade and investment.

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar also supported regional cooperation but expressed concerns regarding territorial integrity.

Without naming the CPEC, which runs through the disputed region of Kashmir, Jaishankar said that the cooperation should recognize territorial integrity and sovereignty. It must be built on genuine partnerships, not unilateral agendas, he stressed.

Pakistan and India both control parts of Kashmir, but each lays claim to the entire region since the countries gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Sharif also called for a peaceful Afghanistan, and said its soil should not be used for violence against any country, and added that the "ongoing genocide in Gaza" could not be ignored.

The summit was held under heightened security arrangements, with the deployment of over 10,000 police, paramilitary and army personnel.

The two-day summit was attended by prime ministers from seven countries including Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.