Pakistan calls for concerted efforts to establish durable global peace, security

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has called for concerted global efforts for the establishment of durable and equitable international peace and security amid India’s continued belligerent policies, and aggressive war-fighting doctrines in South Asian region. Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations and Conference on Disarmament, Geneva, delivered a statement during the General Debate of UNGA, said Pakistan’s Permanent Mission in a statement, received here on Saturday.

He shared key principles advocated by Pakistan for the establishment of durable and equitable international peace and security. These principles included universal and consistent application of the principles of the UN Charter; faithful compliance with and fulfilment of arms control and disarmament obligations by respective states; reinvigoration of conventional arms control at regional and sub-regional levels; rejection of double standards and pursuit of non-discriminatory measures in the nuclear and other realms; developing normative framework on use of new technologies for military purposes, and strengthening cooperative and inclusive multilateralism in pursuit of collective security.

In his statement, Ambassador Khalil Hashmi said that the global security landscape represents a grim picture which is evident in rising geopolitical tensions and great power rivalry; festering of old conflicts and emergence of new ones due to the failure to uphold the UN Charter principles. He pointed out that new military blocs have taken shape and there is an unprecedented increase in military expenditures.

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“A growing race is underway to build, modernise, integrate, and deploy new types of weapons and platforms at land, sea, outer and cyber space,” he said.

He stated that the principles, norms, and rules underpinning the UN charter and the arms control architecture have often been sacrificed for strategic and commercial considerations.

“Vital arms control agreements have been discarded. The largest nuclear powers have failed to comply with their nuclear disarmament obligations,” he added. He further told the forum that many of the negative security-related developments are evident in South Asia which poses a grave threat to peace and security in the region and beyond.

“The largest state in the region continues its repression of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, defying a dozen UN Security Council resolutions,” he said in reference to India.

He added that strategic stability is also threatened by this state as it continues to receive abundant supply of conventional and non-conventional weaponry, and now new sensitive technologies and platforms.

“These generous supplies and its designation as a “net security provider” have emboldened this State to impose its hegemony and the well-advertised ambition to emerge as a dominant power in South Asia, the Indian Ocean and beyond,” he added. Without naming India, he said that the same state continues to pursue belligerent policies, aggressive war-fighting doctrines, and heightened readiness postures and deployments, fraught with demonstrated risks of accidental launches.

“Pakistan cannot remain oblivious to this evolving security dynamics in our immediate neighbourhood and the clear and present dangers to our security due to these policies, actions and developments,” he said.

He added that Pakistan will maintain its capability of minimum credible deterrence against all forms of aggression. Despite continuing provocations and threats, he added that Pakistan remains committed to the goal of a peaceful and stable South Asia. Over the past quarter century, he further stated that Pakistan proposed a number of initiatives to promote peace and security and prevent the emergence of nuclear weapons in South Asia. He said that Pakistan desires, and is determined to pursue, peace, development and strategic stability in South Asia based on sovereign equality and mutual respect. Such a peace can be built: through the resumption of negotiations to resolve the outstanding disputes between Pakistan and India, especially the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people; and by the maintenance of a balance of conventional and strategic military capabilities and deployments, including reciprocal measures for nuclear, missile and military restraints between the two countries, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023