ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 14th May, 2026) Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan on Thursday called for strengthened legal cooperation, mutual legal assistance and institutional coordination among member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to effectively combat transnational organized crime and related security challenges.
The attorney general was addressing the 23rd Meeting of the Attorneys General and Prosecutors General of the SCO Member States, hosted by Pakistan in a virtual format.
The high-level meeting brought together attorneys general, prosecutors general and senior delegates from all SCO member states, including Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the People’s Republic of China Ying Yong, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Yuri Ponomarev, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Dmitry Gora, Additional Solicitor General of the Republic of India Brijender Chahar, Prosecutor General of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Movahedi Azad, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan Berik Assylov, Prosecutor General of the Kyrgyz Republic Maksat Asanaliev, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Tajikistan Vohidzoda Habibullo Saidullo, and Prosecutor General of the Republic of Uzbekistan Nigmatilla Yuldashev.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO Oleg Kopylov and Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Ularbek Sharsheev.
Opening the meeting, Mansoor Usman Awan welcomed the distinguished delegates and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, mutual understanding and institutional coordination among SCO member states.
He observed that the gathering reflected the continued commitment of member states towards collective legal cooperation and regional security under the “Shanghai Spirit.”
Delivering the keynote address, the attorney general highlighted the increasing threats posed by transnational organized crime, cybercrime, money laundering, trafficking networks and illicit financial flows operating across multiple jurisdictions.
He said modern criminal networks were increasingly exploiting procedural and technological gaps between states, requiring more coordinated and practical regional responses.
The attorney general underscored the importance of enhanced cooperation among SCO member states through information sharing, mutual legal assistance, asset recovery mechanisms, exchange of best practices and closer institutional coordination among prosecutorial authorities.
He stressed that no national legal system, acting alone, could effectively dismantle transnational criminal networks.
Referring to Pakistan’s Mutual Legal Assistance Act, 2020, Mansoor Usman Awan highlighted Pakistan’s continued efforts to strengthen domestic legal frameworks facilitating international cooperation in criminal matters.
He also encouraged continued dialogue among SCO member states on developing more effective mechanisms for mutual legal assistance and prosecutorial coordination.
The meeting also discussed practical avenues for future cooperation, including enhanced engagement among prosecutorial authorities, capacity-building initiatives, training and exchange programmes, and consideration of institutional coordination mechanisms to facilitate timely cooperation on transnational criminal matters.
In his remarks, the attorney general said, “No national legal system, acting alone, can effectively dismantle transnational criminal networks. Strengthened legal cooperation, mutual legal assistance, and institutional coordination among our member states are essential to ensuring regional security and the effective pursuit of justice.”
The delegates expressed appreciation to the Government of Pakistan and the Office of the Attorney General for Pakistan for convening the meeting and facilitating constructive discussions aimed at strengthening legal cooperation and coordination among SCO member states.
The meeting concluded with participating delegations expressing commitment to continued engagement and cooperation ahead of the next SCO meeting scheduled to be held in Kazan, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Concluding the proceedings, the attorney general recalled the words of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah: “With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve.”
He said these principles continued to guide Pakistan’s commitment towards regional cooperation, justice and the rule of law.
