SCO Secy General meets Pak FM Zardari, urges Taliban to respect Afghans' rights

Islamabad: Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary-General, Zhang Ming, who is in Pakistan on a four-day visit, held a meeting with the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari where both sides noted that Taliban must address international concerns about inclusivity, respect for all Afghans' rights, especially girls' education.
Ambassador Zhang Ming started his visit to Pakistan on Thursday and is heading a delegation comprising officials from the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing. Both the leaders said that the interim Afghan authorities must address international concerns about inclusivity, respect for all Afghans' rights, especially girls' education, and ongoing counterterrorism measures.
Zhang Ming, in a meeting with Pakistani FM urged the Taliban to address the concerns of the international community and uphold human rights.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani side, in the meeting on Friday also highlighted the need for increased engagement with the Taliban for regional peace, stability, and connectivity. The two countries reviewed the SCO's development agenda, reported Khaama Press.
Furthermore, both sides noted that the international community must provide support to resolve the humanitarian crisis as well as the economic crisis in the neighbouring country.
The SCO is an eight-nation trans-regional multilateral organization that includes Pakistan, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.
This meeting came following the meeting of Zardari with Iran's Special Representative for Afghanistan Affairs where they discussed and stressed the need for an increased constructive engagement and cooperation with the Taliban government for regional stability, as per the media portal.
Earlier, the Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan also called on the international community to enhance interaction and engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office Spokesperson said the visit of the SCO Secretary General will provide an opportunity for Pakistan to engage with the SCO Secretariat while highlighting its perspective and priorities to make SCO mechanisms more effective in advancing shared regional security and economic goals.
The spokesperson said the SCO provides an important platform for Pakistan to further strengthen its deep-rooted and historic ties with the member states and promote socio-economic cooperation for mutual benefit across diverse areas.
The SCO is a major trans-regional multilateral organization with 8 members including China and Russia. SCO countries are home to 41 per cent of the global population and account for 23 per cent of global GDP. (ANI)