What Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said on terror after PM Modi's powerful speech at SCO

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif (File)

Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday paid lip service to terrorism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and projected his country as a serious victim of militant attacks.

Sharif's speech followed that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had earlier called out "some countries" for their open support to terrorism and strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack.

Speaking after PM Modi, the Pakistan Prime Minister claimed that his country had “lost over 90,000 lives” and suffered economic losses exceeding $152 billion in its fight against extremism.

He alleged that “foreign elements” were behind terror attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, even referencing the Jaffar Express train hostage incident.

Sharif said that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and claimed that some are using terror to advance their political interest.

According to Pakistan's daily Dawn, the prime minister raised the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) issue and called for a “structural” dialogue on all outstanding disputes. “We respect all international and bilateral treaties and expect similar principles to be followed by all SCO members,” he said at the summit.

Sharif's remarks on terror rang hollow after PM Modi's evocative speech on the scourge of extremism and "double standards" of certain countries.

"Can open support for terrorism by some countries ever be acceptable to us? We must state clearly that no double standards will be tolerated in the fight against terrorism," PM Modi said at the summit.

PM Modi said that India has been bearing the brunt of terrorism for the last four decades, adding it witnessed the "worst side of terrorism" in Pahalgam.

He cited the Pahalgam terror attack as an open challenge to all nations that believe in humanity, urging SCO members to unite in the fight against terrorism.

Shehbaz Sharif was present at the meeting when PM Modi made these remarks.