Water is 'lifeblood of region', must never be weaponised: PM Shehbaz at SCO summit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said water was the “lifeblood” of the region and must never be weaponised.

“It must never be weaponised. It cannot be used as an instrument of coercion, nor can it ever be exploited for political leverage,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said while addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.

The prime minister’s speech comes a day after the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague on Monday rejected India's unilateral move to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in "abeyance", ruling that the agreement remains fully in force.

The PCA delivered its Award on Treaty Status alongside a binding Order on Interim Measures, unanimously ruling that the treaty remains valid and ordering India to halt certain construction activities at the disputed Ratle Hydroelectric Plant and uphold its obligations under the IWT.

In the fresh ruling, the court directed India to hold back construction at a hydroelectric plant in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). It also directed India to honour its water-sharing treaty with Pakistan, which New Delhi had suspended in April last year following tensions with Islamabad.

While speaking at the SCO Council of Heads of States meeting, the premier said treaties governing shared waters were “solemn, binding international commitments” and “must be honoured unconditionally in both letter and spirit”.

He said Pakistan remained committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes, international law and the principles enshrined in the UN and SCO charters.

“In such a complex environment, the SCO represents our collective resolve to navigate through these enormous challenges together and deliver peace, security and prosperity to our peoples,” PM Shehbaz said.

He said Pakistan “consistently upholds and respects the core principles of both the UN and SCO Charters” and remained committed to resolving disputes peacefully through international law.

The prime minister said Pakistan had “staunchly advocated peace” when the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an SCO member state was violated earlier this year, triggering a major regional crisis.

“The closure of critical energy supply routes due to this crisis has disrupted the global economy,” he said, adding that Pakistan, along with the international community, had “borne a heavy economic cost”.

PM Shehbaz said Pakistan had consistently acted as “an honest and sincere mediator and facilitator”, with its diplomatic efforts culminating in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He described the agreement as “a critical step towards regional de-escalation and the restoration of peace” and said, “We firmly believe that the Islamabad MOU offers the most viable and enduring pathway to lasting peace in our region.”

The prime minister expressed gratitude to countries for their support for Pakistan’s peace-building efforts.

The premier also said Pakistan had recently signed the Trilateral Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, stressing that it was “fundamentally defensive in nature” and “neither directed against any state nor intended to create any confrontation or division whatsoever”.

The prime minister said Pakistan was also a signatory to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which had “further strengthened prospects for peace in the region by sending a message of unity and common resolve”.

On Gaza and the West Bank, he said the plight of innocent people “continues unabated, causing unimaginable suffering”.

“The international community must honour its commitment to help the Palestinian people, alongside all other oppressed nations, secure their fundamental right to self-determination,” PM Shehbaz said.

On terrorism, the prime minister said it remained “one of the greatest threats that has affected our entire region in its various forms and manifestations”.

He said Pakistan, as chair of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure, had worked to strengthen regional counter-terrorism cooperation.

“Few nations have fought against the scourge of terrorism as resolutely and valiantly as Pakistan,” he said, adding that over the past two and a half decades, Pakistan had sacrificed more than 90,000 lives and suffered economic losses of more than $150 billion in combating terrorism.

“These sacrifices were not for Pakistan alone. They were to ensure a safer and more secure region and beyond,” he said.

On Afghanistan, PM said Pakistan sought “a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan”, but added: “Let there be no ambiguity so long as terrorists continue to use Afghan territory to shed the blood of innocent Pakistanis and other nationals. Lasting peace will remain beyond our reach.”

The prime minister said the SCO region was home to more than 3 billion people and had abundant natural resources, placing an “extraordinary responsibility” on its leaders to shape a better future.

“For years, I have strongly advocated regional connectivity as the key to our prosperity,” he said. “Today, connectivity is no longer a choice. It is a strategic imperative.”

He said diversified transport networks, secure energy corridors and resilient supply chains would help strengthen security and regional connectivity.

PM Shehbaz called for implementation of the SCO Development Strategy until 2035 and said the establishment of the SCO Development Bank would be “a critical step in this regard”.

As Pakistan assumed the SCO chairmanship, he said the country was proposing an action plan prioritising IT and artificial intelligence, energy development and poverty reduction, disaster management, health, culture and sports.

“In IT and AI, we propose to establish an SCO sovereign AI infrastructure and governance framework to promote responsible and inclusive AI development and also ensure that no member state is left behind,” he said.

He said Pakistan’s SCO chairmanship would be pursued under the theme: “Turning Vision into Action, Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity.”

“We undertake this responsibility with humility, hope and abiding faith that connectivity will bring our peoples closer, innovation will open new doors of opportunity and shared prosperity will reach every home,” PM Shehbaz said.

He urged SCO members to choose “cooperation over confrontation, dialogue over diversion and division, bridges over barriers and hope over fear”.

“Let history record that the SCO did not merely witness a changing world, we shaped it together,” he said.

Addressing the SCO Plus meeting

Prime Minister Shehbaz called for urgent reform of the United Nations, saying the global body must become “more accountable and responsive”.

Addressing the SCO Plus meeting in Bishkek, PM Shehbaz said the rise of a multipolar world should be viewed as an opportunity to build “a more equitable, democratic and just international system”.

“As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Pakistan has been actively contributing to global peacemaking over the past two years,” he said.

The prime minister said Pakistan was also a signatory to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, which had “further strengthened prospects for peace in the region by sending a message of unity and common resolve”.

On Gaza and the West Bank, Shehbaz said the situation remained “deeply troubling” and called on the international community to act decisively to end the suffering of Palestinians and uphold their “inalienable right to self-determination”.

On terrorism, PM Shehbaz said it remained “a common threat” for SCO member states and other countries represented at the SCO Plus.

He also called for effective action against terrorist groups using Afghan territory to attack Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.

He said Pakistan remained committed to advancing shared objectives under the regional anti-terrorism structure and would “continue to bravely confront and defeat the scourge of terrorism”.

The premier said terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms”.

As Pakistan assumes the SCO chairmanship, PM Shehbaz said the organisation “must deliver tangible dividends to its peoples”. He said Pakistan would prioritise IT and artificial intelligence, energy development and poverty reduction, disaster management, health, culture and sports during the next year.

The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to realising the SCO’s potential and sought the cooperation of SCO member states and the SCO Plus family.

He also invited participants to Islamabad in 2027 for the next edition of the SCO Plus meeting.

Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz participated in the 26th Heads of State Summit of the SCO in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday and signed the joint declaration of the summit.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif signs the joint declaration of SCO Council of Heads of State Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on September 1, 2026.”

The PMO also said, “The President of Kyrgyzstan H.E. Sadyr Nurgozhoevich Japarov welcomes Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on September 1, 2026.”

The office said, “Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif participated in the 26th Heads of State Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Bishkek.”

The PMO said, “The Prime Minister held informal meetings with global leaders on the sidelines of the summit, during which discussions took place on important regional and global issues as well as bilateral matters.”

The PMO further stated that the prime minister “remained the center of attention” during the meetings, which included Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

PM Shehbaz arrived in Bishkek on Monday for a three-day official visit to attend the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and the SCO Plus Summit, as Pakistan prepares to assume the SCO Council's chairmanship for 2026-27.

Upon his arrival, the prime minister met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with the two leaders discussing the evolving regional situation, bilateral ties and efforts to promote regional peace. Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to peacebuilding and highlighted Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir's recent visit to Tehran. He also invited Pezeshkian to visit Pakistan, while the Iranian president invited Shehbaz to the ECO Summit in Tehran in December 2026.

Pakistan is set to assume the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for 2026-27, under which it will lead the organisation's top-level deliberations and host the SCO summit in Pakistan in 2027.