APART from exhaustive bilateral meetings he held during his stay in New York, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif delivered a strong speech before the UN General Assembly session highlighting Pakistan’s point of view on important matters besides dilating upon issues of interest to the international community. He sensitized the world about dangers posed by the growing threat of terrorism from Afghan soil for Pakistan and beyond; underlined the urgency for a just and fair resolution of the Kashmir dispute for sustainable peace and security in the region; warned India against its policy of stopping Pakistan’s share of water under the Indus Water Treaty; made an impassioned call for Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb to remain open, condemned Israeli actions in Gaza and expressed concerns over rise in Islamophobia.
The engagements of the Prime Minister on the sidelines of the UNGA session and his well-worded and aptly delivered address to the world body reflected the stature that the country has carved out for itself in the comity of nations because of its sincere contribution to efforts aimed at promoting regional and global peace and security, the respect it gained because of strong defence of the country in the face of Indian and Afghan aggression, growing influence of the country as highlighted by bilateral and military pacts and strong desire of Pakistan for conflict resolution through peaceful means. His focus on the Gulf war was understandable as the conflict was expanding with serious implications and consequences for the entire world. He rightly described any attempt to target Makkah Mukarramah as the red line, which could spark unimaginable reaction for such a heinous crime. Similarly, his reiteration that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of river waters would be treated as an “act of war” comes in the backdrop of a recent verdict of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) declaring that the 1960 Indus Water Treaty remains fully in force and cannot be suspended unilaterally by India, which symbolizes global endorsement of Pakistan’s stand on the issue. As India persists with its plans to strengthen its illegal hold on Jammu and Kashmir, the PM told the world body Kashmiris had waited for eight decades for the UN to fulfil its commitment to a free and impartial plebiscite, while generations had endured illegal occupation, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and collective punishment. He described terrorism as the biggest threat to peace and security and informed the UN the Afghan territory continues to be used by outlawed terrorist outfits for attacks against Pakistan. The PM also highlighted the cause of oppressed Palestinian people and warned against growing Islamophobia in different regions of the world to the detriment of inter-faith harmony. The world can surely become a safe place if the issues highlighted by the PM receive similar attention by other members of the global community.
