ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: A Russian Export has said that terror organizations are in the quest to sabotage peace in the Central Asia region, and for that purpose, they are even using social media.
While speaking at an International Conference on “Shanghai Cooperation Organization; Future Prospects and Regional Connectivity”, the Expert at the Center for Studies of the Problems of Central Asia and Afghanistan in Moscow State Institute of International Relations Dr. Leonid Gusev shed lights on “The fight against terrorist organizations in the countries of Central Asia, members of SCO. Connections with terrorist organizations in the Middle East”.
The Conference was organized by the Centre for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS) in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Dr. Leonid Gusev briefed the audience about the presence of terrorist organisations in Central Asia and how Central Asian Countries are collaborating to purge them. He also highlighted that Central Asia is under the pressure of terrorist organisations.
The Russian expert said that terrorists played havoc in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in early 90s. He said that civil war in Tajikistan lended an opportunity to extremists to nourish their terror outfits. He said that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS) of Middle East tried its best to destabilize Central Asia.
Leonid Gusev said that terrorists used social media in Tajikistan for collaborating and arranging terrorism. He said that even in 2012 Tajikistan had to execute a special action in Badakhshan to wipe out terrorists from the area. He said that again in November 2014 Tajikistan had to do deal with terrorists by force.
The expert said that Tajikistan and Uzbekistan worked together to purge social media of terrorists and extremists.
While speaking on “SCO’s Future Discourse and Opportunities for the Region” at the Conference, the Director at the Chinese Studies Centre, School Of Social Sciences and Humanities (S3H), National University of Science and Technology in Islamabad Syed Hasan Javed said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should have its permanent headquarters.
Syed Hasan Javed said that the world is looking towards the SCO but unfortunately, the organization has not yet untapped more than one or two percent of its true potentials.
Hasan Javed said that Eurasia is future of the region. He said that the SCO must collaborate with think tanks, business chambers, universities to effectively apprise the world about its true potentials in all aspects including in art and culture etc.
“We must come out of old cold war template,” he asserted.
The director at the Chinese Studies Centre said that establishment a conflict resolution mechanism is need of the hour, adding that the meetings of the Joint Defence Commission should be held on annual basis.
The Head of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent Bakhtiyor Mustafayev delivered his lecture on “Multilateral Security cooperation to address the security issues in the region”.
Bakhtiyor Mustafayev said that maintaining peace and avoiding regional conflicts are very important for the prosperity. He said that the SCO is fighting against terrorism in a befitting manner, and added that it has all the potential to address the regional security.
The ISRS head further said that Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are working jointly for suppressing terrorism, and to curb drug trafficking and other cross-border related crimes.
