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Business Recorder
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PM Shehbaz urges regional unity, highlights India's ‘weaponisation of water' at ECO summit
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) member states to deepen collaboration in response to pressing regional and global challenges, particularly climate change and geopolitical instability. Addressing the 17th ECO Summit, the prime minister underscored the urgent need for collective action as ECO member states struggle with the severe consequences of climate change, from melting glaciers and desertification to extreme weather events and declining agricultural productivity. 'These challenges threaten the food security and livelihoods of millions. Pakistan remains among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change,' he said, recalling the catastrophic 2022 floods that displaced over 33 million people in Pakistan. Just last week, he said several lives were tragically lost in the affected districts of Pakistan. 'Pakistan on its part has undertaken a series of climate-related policy initiatives and is aggressively pursuing of 4F plans focusing on resilience, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction,' he added. The prime minister said in this regard Pakistan proposed the development of low emissions corridors and a regional disaster resilience system. 'A dedicated framework to mobilise climate finance along with regional clean energy corridors and eco-tourism initiatives can further drive inclusive sustainable growth, creating green jobs, especially for youth and women and supporting livelihoods,' the prime minister said. PM Shehbaz discusses trade, regional peace with Presidents of Turkiye, Iran, Uzbekistan On the economic front, Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the need to operationalise long-pending agreements under ECO Vision 2025, especially the ECO Trade Agreement (ECOTA) and transport corridors connecting member states. He referenced ECO's origins as the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD), a partnership between Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey in the 1960s, as a historic blueprint for present-day integration. 'Promotion of trade and investment is key to achieving common goals of regional connectivity, energy security, and economic growth.' The prime minister thanked ECO member states for designating Lahore as the ECO Tourism Capital for 2027, inviting all delegates to experience Pakistan's rich cultural heritage. 'Lahore, the cultural heart of Pakistan, will enthral all who visit us. We extend a warm invitation to all member states.' Pakistan condemns Indian hostilities in IIOJK The prime minister said that the unprovoked and reckless Indian hostility directed towards Pakistan after an unfortunate incident in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was yet another attempt to destabilise regional peace. 'The world witnessed the steadfast resolve of our valiant armed forces under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir,' the prime minister said. He also appreciated the support and solidarity extended to Pakistan by the brotherly ECO member states in the aftermath of Indian aggression earlier this year. He strongly condemned Israel's barbarism in Gaza, saying 'Pakistan stands firmly against those who perpetrated barbaric acts against innocent people anywhere in the world, whether in Gaza or IIOJK or Iran'. India's water aggression The prime minister also drew attention to what he called the 'weaponisation of water' by India, referencing New Delhi's alleged violations of the Indus Waters Treaty and the recent ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. 'This defiance is completely unacceptable. The Indus waters are a lifeline for Pakistan's 240 million people. India's actions amount to aggression.' He made it clear that under no circumstances can India be permitted to pursue this dangerous part, which will amount to an act of aggression against the people of Pakistan. PM calls Israeli strikes on Iran 'unjustified' Condemning Israel's recent strike on Iran, the prime minister called it 'unlawful, unjustified and uncalled for,' and expressed deep condolences to the Iranian people. 'Pakistan strongly condemns this act of Israeli aggression. We pray for a speedy recovery of our injured brothers and sisters in Iran.'
Business Recorder
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PM arrives in Azerbaijan to attend ECO Summit
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday aarived in Azerbaijan to attend the two-day 17th ECO Summit titled 'New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future' in Khankendi. Leading a high-level delegation, Shehbaz will share Pakistan's perspective on key regional and global challenges while reaffirming commitment to the ECO Vision 2025. Apart from advocating for enhanced intra-regional trade, transport connectivity, energy cooperation, and sustainable development, the premier will also hold bilateral meetings with other ECO leaders on the sidelines of the Summit to discuss matters of mutual interest. Pakistan is among the founding members of the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD), formed back in 1964, along with Iran and Turkiye, which was rechristened as ECO in 1985. With 10 member countries, the regional trade of ECO nations amounts to $76 billion, making it a key regional forum for the promotion of trade and investment as it connects the north to south, south and east to the west, Asia to Europe and Eurasia to the Arab world. The organisation, in the past few years, has emerged as a platform for 'economic diplomacy and activism'. Pakistan had hosted the 13th ECO summit back in 2017, wherein the member countries' heads of states/governments had endorsed and adopted the ECO Vision – 2025.
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
The Story Of Turkey-Pakistan 'Brotherhood' And Why It Runs Deep
That the Turkey-Pakistan brotherhood runs deep is a fact amply underlined by the Turkish response to the recent military tensions between India and Pakistan. But what makes this alliance so strong is not just diplomacy, but history and tradition. Not only had the waning Ottoman Khilafat (or Caliphate) movement influenced the formation of Pakistan, but the shared tradition of the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, culturality, and moderate Sufism is such that the two countries often fondly call each other 'Kardeslers', meaning "brothers" in Turkish. The fact that both Turkey and Pakistan were also in the same 'blocs' during the Cold War era - the Baghdad Pact (later Regional Cooperation for Development, and then Economic Cooperation Organisation), the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO), or even Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) and D-8 being examples - helped them geopolitically cement their underlying religio-cultural-historical connection. The 1965 And 1971 Wars In 1951, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Treaty of Eternal Friendship. That led to Ankara progressively upping its support to Pakistan in all its wars with India. If the 1965 war saw Turkey supporting Pakistan diplomatically, by 1971, that had turned into material support as well in the form of aircraft assistance. Now, in the latest four-day conflict between the two countries, Turkey is believed to have supplied over 350 drones to Pakistan, along with military advisors and operatives to use the same. The mysterious landing of a Turkish C-130, followed by a visit by Lt Gen Yasar Kadioglu (Chief of Turkish Intelligence) in Pakistan days before Operation Sindoor, also raised suspicions. All this is in addition to the already signed deal to allow for upgrading of Pakistani F-16s at Turkish facilities and supply four stealth corvettes, 30 T129 ATAK helicopters, Kemankes cruise missiles, etc. The Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has personally thanked the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his "strong support and unwavering solidarity" during the Indo-Pak conflict. A Very Close Association For the two countries, their once-rhetorical support for each other has now decidedly turned into a more strategic one. Just as Islamabad readily concurs with Ankara on Northern Cyprus and refuses to recognise the Armenian genocide, Ankara backs Islamabad on the plebiscite line on Kashmir as well as its bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group. But this is not a new shift by any measure. In his memoir, In the Line of Fire, former Pakistani President and dictator Pervez Musharaff fondly recounted how he spent his childhood in Ankara and "their [the people's] very visible love and affection for Pakistan and Pakistanis". It's also worth noting how the Indian Embassy road in Ankara has been renamed Cinnah Caddesi, meaning Jinnah Avenue. A Simultaneous Slide It was Turkey's oscillating and contradictory relationship of the 'state' with Islam that had inspired Muhammad Ali Jinnah - and Pervez Musharaff, decades later - to view the country as a model nation that Pakistan must emulate. However, both countries' regressive slide towards puritanism has occurred almost in tandem - in Turkey with the rise of Recep Erdogan, and in Pakistan with the tightening of the vice-like grip of religious narratives. If a more secularist and progressive Kemal Mustapha Atatürk had inspired Pakistani leaders like Jinnah, Ayub, Yahya or even Musharaff, religious hardliners like Erdogan, who rail brazenly at the "West", are the latest poster boys in Pakistan today. Surely, the bitterly contested domestic politics of Turkey, with the Progressives in the opposition and the religious conservatives under Erdogan, has a role to play too. Both benefit much more from batting on behalf of a "brother muslim nation" like Pakistan. The sheer distance and relatively lower commercial angularities with India are not enough for it to prefer Delhi over Islamabad. A Rival To Sheikhdoms Bonhomie with Pakistan is also rooted in Turkey's own ambition to emerge as a leader within the Ummah, or the Islamic World, which is hitherto dominated by Saudi-led Sheikhdoms. Given how India has built stable relations with such Sheikhdoms, the non-Arab majors like Turkey and Pakistan, which were historically treated as "lessers" within the Ummah, are now seeking to stitch a rival "bloc" involving other non-Arab nations, such as Malaysia, Iran and the perennially contrarian but Arab, Qatar. The deliberate exposé of the Khashoggi murder by the Turkish authorities was designed to embarrass the Saudis, underlining the internal rift within the Ummah. Also, with the US, India and Sheikdoms working conjointly on many fronts, Pakistan is left with only Turkey, along with China, to afford it some bragging rights. By standing up for Pakistan, Erdogan wants to project the imperialist grandeur of "Pasha" - the highest ranking official harking back to the Ottoman era - something the Turkish President desperately seeks to revive. The Indian Approach However, for India, Turkey's indulgence of Pakistan has resulted in Delhi asserting its own anti-Turkey view on Northern Cyprus, conducting naval exercises with Turkey's rival, Greece, and even becoming Armenia's largest arms supplier. The Indian reaction is a more recent phenomenon and a fallout of the Erdogan era. The Turkey-less India-Middle East-Europe-Economic Corridor, aimed at countering Ankara's rival geostrategic initiative of 'Iraq Development Road', which shortchanges India, is part of New Delhi's approach. In a way, Erdogan's own electoral considerations, the solidification of India's relations with Arab Sheikdoms, Afghanistan (increasingly a pain point with Pakistan now), the US and the forever sectarian Iran, will ensure that Turkey and Pakistan continue to deepen their jointmanship, something that is bound to irk Delhi. As of now, the overwhelming nationalistic fervour in India has resulted in calls to de-prioritise Turkey as a destination for tourism and other exchanges. But that's barely enough to push Turkey to revisit its stance. Supporting Pakistan makes more sense to the calculative and ambitious Erdogan. The dearth of 'Turkish Delight' for India ought not to surprise anyone. (Lt. Gen. Bhopinder Singh (born 20 March 1946) is the former Lieutenant Governor of The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry and an Indian Army officer who has been awarded the PVSM.)
