NEW YORK: Expressing anguish over Israeli atrocities against Palestinians, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said this is not just a conflict, but a systematic slaughter of innocent people and an assault on the very essence of human life and dignity.
He said the blood of Gaza’s children stains the hands of not just the oppressors, but also of those, who are complicit, in prolonging, this cruel conflict.
He said that it is not enough to condemn, and emphasised that the international community must act now, and demand an immediate end to this bloodshed. He said the blood and sacrifice of the innocent Palestinians will never go waste.
Abbas tells PM: Since 1948 Pakistan’s position has remained unchanged
Addressing the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly calling for the two-state solution for a durable peace, the prime minister called for a viable, secure, contiguous and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif, as its eternal capital. This goal, he added, should be advanced by immediately admitting Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.
Referring to the recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon, he said that the failure to implement UN resolutions has emboldened Israel and it threatens to drag the entire Middle East, into a war, whose consequences could be grave and beyond imagination.
He urged the Afghanistan interim government to take effective measures to neutralise all terrorist groups within Afghanistan, especially those responsible for cross-border terrorism against neighbouring countries, especially the ISIL-K, the al-Qaeda associated TTP, the BLA, the Majeed Brigade, Khawarij, and its associates.
The prime minister also invited India to enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people by reversing the illegal steps taken since August 5, 2019.
He said that the UN resolutions have mandated a plebiscite to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their fundamental right to self- determination.
He called upon India to reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5th of August 2019.
The prime minister said that India is engaged in a massive expansion of its military capabilities, which are essentially deployed against Pakistan.
“Its war doctrines envisage a surprise attack and a limited war under the nuclear overhanging,” he said, adding that India has thoughtlessly spurned Pakistan’s proposals for a mutual strategic restraint regime.
He said that Indian leadership has often threatened to cross the Line of Control (LoC) and takeover Azad Kashmir and emphatically stated that Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression.
Deliberating upon the challenge posed by climate change, the prime minister recalled that the catastrophic floods devastated Pakistan two years ago, causing damage of 30 billion dollars. “Pakistan emits less than one percent of global carbon emissions, yet we have paid a heavy price for no fault of ours…We must uphold the axiom: The polluter pays!” the prime minister said.
He added that Pakistan looks forward to the fulfilment of commitments made by development partners to support the achievements of Sustainable Development Goals and climate goals including a new annual goal beyond one hundred billion dollars in climate finance.
Highlighting the challenge posed by debt to the developing countries, the prime minister emphasised that the international financial architecture, world trade, and technology regimes must be reformed and aligned to promote development and global equity.
Turning to the domestic economic situation, he said the government has taken difficult, but necessary decisions that have rescued the economy from collapse, restored macroeconomic stability, controlled fiscal deficits, and strengthened reserves. “As a result, inflation has come down to a single digit, and the prospects, for economic growth, have revived,” he added.
The prime minister said the government has prioritised geo-economics and regional connectivity to secure win-win outcomes.
He pointed out that the second phase of the landmark, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been successfully launched and through the apex, Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the government is mobilising investments in resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, minerals, sustainable agriculture, and technology. He said this will herald a new era of development and modernisation.
Highlighting Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terrorism, the prime minister said 80,000 of our brave soldiers and civilians have been martyred, including innocent school going children and the economy suffered a loss of $150 billion.
He said Pakistan, unfortunately, is again confronted by a new wave of externally financed and sponsored terrorism, especially by the TTP, The BLA, The Majeed Brigade, Fitna al-Khawarij and its associates.
He expressed Pakistan’s firm determination to eliminate this threat as well through a comprehensive national effort, “Azm-e-Istehkam”.
“Pakistan will work collectively with the international community to combat all forms of terrorism and reform the global counter-terrorism architecture,” he added.
Expressing concerns over Islamophobic incidents, Shehbaz Sharif said its most alarming manifestation is the Hindu supremacist agenda in India. It aggressively seeks the subjugation of 200 million Muslims and the obliteration of India’s Islamic heritage.
He said Pakistan and the OIC will work with the UN Secretary-General and his Special Envoy to implement a plan of action to combat this scourge.
Turning to Afghanistan, the prime minister said Pakistan seeks the earliest possible normalisation of the situation in Afghanistan. He urged the Afghanistan Interim Government to take effective action to neutralise all terrorist groups within Afghanistan, especially those responsible for cross-border terrorism against neighbouring countries.
Shehbaz Sharif called for an immediate end to the tragic conflict in Ukraine and its peaceful resolution in accordance with the UN Charter and international agreements.
“Pakistan stands by the United Nations Charter and will make its full contribution to peace and prosperity of the world,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024