Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will raise the Kashmir and Palestine issues during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said on Sunday in New York.
Briefing the media about the prime minister’s visit, Ahmad said multilateral cooperation, climate change and the current global situation would also be part of the speech. Shehbaz is scheduled to address the 81st session of the UNGA, and he is expected to meet several world leaders during his stay in New York.
The ambassador said Pakistan was also working to arrange a meeting between the prime minister and Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook. His visit comes as the UNGA high-level session gets under way in New York, with the Middle East conflict expected to figure prominently in discussions among world leaders.
According to the Foreign Office, Shehbaz will highlight Pakistan’s position on major international issues during the visit. His address will cover sustainable development, climate change, counterterrorism, Islamophobia, global economic challenges, UN reforms and issues confronting the Global South. He will also draw attention to Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir, the FO said.
The Foreign Office has stated that Pakistan will continue to call for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is already in New York and has been holding meetings with foreign ministers and other officials ahead of Shehbaz’s arrival. Dar is also scheduled to attend meetings on Kashmir and Palestine on the sidelines of the UNGA session.
Pakistan has been calling for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza and has continued to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on relevant UN resolutions. Islamabad has also regularly raised the Kashmir dispute at the UN and called for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
On September 14, Ambassador Ahmad told Geo News that the country was seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue and international and UN-backed mechanisms. He said Pakistan was working to bring about a ceasefire, reduce tensions and bring the parties back to the negotiating table as the regional situation continues to deteriorate. Ahmad stressed that the immediate priority was to stop the fighting and reduce tensions, adding that the UN Security Council Charter provides for disputes to be resolved through negotiations rather than war.
The diplomat acknowledged that the situation was moving in a negative direction but said Pakistan was conscious of the need to play a role in preventing further escalation. “We acknowledge that the situation is moving in a negative direction. We are aware of it and believe that we have to play our role,” he said.
Source: Geo News