PM Kakar calls for countering all terrorists including Hindutva inspired extremists

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday urged international community to counter all terrorists without any discrimination including Hindutva inspired extremists.

Addressing the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, he pointed out that the rising threat by the far right extremist and fascist groups poses genocide threat to Indian Muslims and Christians.

The caretaker prime minister stressed the need to oppose state terrorism and address its root causes such as poverty, injustice and foreign occupation besides distinguishing genuine freedom struggles from terrorism.

“Development depends on peace”

The prime minister said Pakistan is situated in one of the least economically integrated regions in the world, and the country desires peaceful and productive relations with all its neighbours, including India.

“Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India,” he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is one of the oldest issues on the agenda of the Security Council.

Kakar said India has evaded implementation of the Security Council’s resolutions, which call for the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir to be decided by its people through UN-supervised plebiscite.

“Since August 5, 2019, India has deployed 900,000 troops in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to impose the final solution for Kashmir.

“To this end, India has imposed extended lockdowns and curfews; jailed all the genuine Kashmir leaders; violently suppressed peaceful protests; resorted to extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters and so-called cordon and search operations, and imposed collective punishments, destroying entire villages,” he said.

Access to occupied Kashmir, demanded by the UN High Commission for Human Rights and over a dozen Special Rapporteurs has been denied by New Delhi, he maintained.

The interim prime minister urged the UN Security Council to ensure secure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir, saying that the UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) should be reinforced.

“Global powers should convince New Delhi to accept Pakistan’s offer of mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons,” he stressed.

“Peace in Afghanistan imperative for Pakistan”

Kakar was of the view that peace in Afghanistan is a strategic imperative for Pakistan.

“Pakistan shares the concerns of international community with respect to Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women and girls.

“Yet, we advocate continued humanitarian assistance to a destitute Afghan population in which Afghan girls and women are the most vulnerable; as well as revival of the Afghan economy and implementation of the connectivity projects with the Central Asia,” the caretaker prime minister said.

He added that Pakistan’s first priority is to prevent and counter all terrorism from and within Afghanistan.

Pakistan condemns the cross-border terrorist attacks on its soil by the TTP, Daesh, and other groups operating from Afghanistan, the premier maintained. “We have sought Kabul’s support and cooperation to prevent these attacks. However, we are also taking necessary measures to end this externally encouraged terrorism.”

Speaking of other conflicts across the world, Kakar said Pakistan welcomes the progress made towards ending the 6 conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

“In particular, we warmly welcome the normalisation of relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Unfortunately, the tragedy of Palestine continues, with Israeli military raids, airstrikes, expansion of settlements and evictions of Palestinians,” he said.

Durable peace could be established only through a two state solution and the establishment of a viable and contiguous Palestinian State within the pre June 1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital, the interim PM continued.

“We must counter all terrorists without discrimination, including the rising threat posed by far-right extremist and fascist groups, such as Hindutva-inspired extremists threatening genocide against India’s Muslims and Christians,” Kakar highlighted.

He urged that the world must address the root causes of terrorism, such as poverty, injustice and foreign occupation; and distinguish genuine freedom struggles from terrorism.

“Pakistan proposes the creation of a committee of the General Assembly to oversee the balanced implementation of all four pillars of the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy,” the premier said.

“World cannot afford Cold War 2.0”

The caretaker prime minister said Pakistan sees the rise of new and old military and political blocs as tensions between the global powers have continued to escalate.

“Geo-politics is resurging when geo-economics should have primacy in the world. The world cannot afford Cold War 2.0. There are far greater challenges confronting humankind, which demand global cooperation and collective action,” he urged.

Kakar was of the view that the world’s economic prospect appeared gloomy.

“Global growth is slow. High interest rates could trigger a recession. A succession of exogenous shocks - Covid, conflict, and climate change - have devastated the economies of many developing countries.

“Many countries of the global South have barely managed to stave off defaults. Poverty and hunger have grown, reversing the development gains of three decades.”

Debt challenges facing 59 countries: PM urges world to find durable solution

Kakar in his speech stressed that the world must ensure implementation of the SDG Stimulus, rechannelling of unused Special Drawing Rights for development, expansion of concessional lending by the multilateral development banks, and resolution of the problems of the countries in debt distress.

“Pakistan’s long-term shift to geo-economics underway”

Continuing his speech, the interim prime minister said Pakistan’s long-term shift to geo-economics was underway.

“Pakistan’s government is committed to rapid economic recovery. We will stabilise our foreign exchange reserves and our currency; expand domestic revenues and, most importantly, mobilise significant domestic and external investment,” Kakar said.

To achieve that, he added, the country established a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to expedite investment decisions.

Twenty-eight projects have been identified in priority sectors – agriculture, mining, energy and IT – for implementation in collaboration with Pakistan’s partners, according to Kakar.

Pakistan also looks forward to the early implementation of the connectivity projects with the Central Asia, he said.

Kakar also informed that the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been initiated covering railway, infrastructure, and manufacturing projects.

Calls for fulfillment of the climate change commitment

The premier also called for fulfillment of the climate change commitments made at COP28 in January, where Pakistan was promised $10 billion in pledges.

“We are meeting at a tense and pivotal moment in modern history,” caretaker premier Kakar said as he delivered the speech at UNGA, a first by an interim prime minister of Pakistan.

He presented Pakistan’s perspective on a range of issues, including regional disputes and climate change.

“Pakistan is gratified by the commitments of over $10.5 billion for the country’s comprehensive plan for recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction with resilience – the 4RF Plan – at the Geneva Conference last January,” Kakar said.

The prime minister elaborated on the measures taken by his caretaker administration to consolidate Pakistan’s economic recovery and efforts to mobilise domestic and foreign investment.

“I hope our development partners will accord priority to allocation (release) of funds for our resilient recovery plan, which has been costed at $13 billion,” he added.

Pakistan is one of the worst affected countries from the impacts of climate change. The epic floods of last summer submerged a third of the country, killed 1,700 and displaced over 8 million people, destroyed vital infrastructure, and caused over $30 billion in damage to its economy , he maintained.

Kakar further said Pakistan’s triple challenge of food, fuel, and finance is a prime illustration of the impacts of Covid, conflicts, and climate on developing countries.

“Attempts to selectively provide the climate change funds on the bazis of geo-political considerations should be resisted,” the interim prime minister cautioned.

“Pakistan does not believe in elitism”

Kakar further said Pakistan does not believe in elitism within the comity of nations.

The UN Charter principles of equality and sovereignty must be preserved in the interest of global peace and prosperity, he urged.

He apprised the session Pakistan believes that adding additional permanent members to the Security Council could further erode its credibility and legitimacy.

The widest possible agreement could be best achieved on the basis of the Uniting for Consensus Group’s proposal for expansion of the Council only in the non-permanent category with provision for a limited number of longer-term seats, he added.

“Pakistan believes that to build, preserve, and promote peace and prosperity today, and in the future, it is vital to reduce great power rivalry and tensions; ensure strict adherence to the UN Charter; and consistently implement Security Council resolutions,” the caretaker prime minister said.

Kakar is the first interim prime minister to represent Pakistan at the UNGA.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said he would also attend an important conference on climate change and scheduled to interact with the international media and visit prominent US think tanks.

Earlier today, Kakar said the US corporate sector should look into ways to further enhance its relationship with Pakistan.

The remarks were made while addressing a delegation of the US Pakistan Business Council (USPBC) on the sidelines of the UNGA.

The caretaker PM identified agriculture, tech sector including fintech, pharmaceuticals and health, and digital banking sectors where US companies could enhance their investments in Pakistan.

Kakar said attracting foreign investments in all sectors of Pakistan’s economy remains the government’s top priority, adding that the government was focused on creating a business-friendly environment and welcomes all suggestions.

In an interview with PTV News that was aired before the UNGA session, the interim prime minister had said he would highlight important issues such as Kashmir dispute, climate change, and Islamophobia in his speech at the session.

Kakar had said he would also highlight Pakistan’s economic revival plan side by side, raising the issue of climate change and the pledges of around $10 billion made to Pakistan after the country suffered catastrophic floods last year.