Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic & moral support to Kashmiri brothers & sisters: FO

ISLAMABAD, Sep 26 (SABAH): As per weekly press briefing by the spokesperson, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is in New York to attend the High-level segment for the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Prime Minister attended the event “SDG Moment” organized by United Nations on Sustainable Development Goals where he called for support to developing countries in escaping debt traps exacerbated by climate change-related disasters and an unfair global financial system.

The Prime Minister also attended the “High-Level Meeting on Existential Threat posed by Sea-level Rise,” and the UN Security Council’s Open Debate on “Leadership for Peace” yesterday.

In a statement on “Leadership for peace” during the High-Level Open Debate in the UN Security Council, the Prime Minister underlined that proliferating wars – in the Middle East, Europe, and elsewhere – great power tensions, and growing poverty – are threatening the foundations of world order. He proposed actions to address global challenges and strengthen peace and security in the world. Pakistan will pursue these objectives in the Security Council when it assumes its seat in the Council next year.

On the sidelines of the UNGA Session, the Prime Minister has held bilateral meetings with the President of Maldives Dr. Muizzu; President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan; President of Iran Masoud Pazeshkian; President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas; Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah; and the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.

The Prime Minister will address the UN General Assembly tomorrow. Pakistan remains concerned about the security situation in the Middle East owing to Israel’s expanding adventurism and disregard of international law. Last week’s military aggression against Lebanon is a grave violation of the UN Charter and international law. This dangerous escalation has further endangered peace and security in an already volatile region. Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

For almost a year now, Israeli occupation forces have been involved in a systematic genocidal campaign in Gaza and engaged in grave violations of international humanitarian law.

This week Israel sent a container of decomposing bodies of 88 Palestinians to Gaza without sharing any information about the identities of the victims and the time and manner of their deaths. This inexcusably barbaric act violates international humanitarian law, which require the respectful handling and identification of the deceased. By withholding the names and gender of the deceased, the Israeli occupation forces have denied the victims their dignity and compounded the suffering of their families. No family should be denied the right to bury their loved ones with dignity. Israel must disclose the identities of the deceased and ensure dignified return of the mortal remains to their families.

We call upon the international community to take immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its acts of international terrorism and its war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Contact Group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Jammu and Kashmir met yesterday on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Chaired by OIC Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, the meeting was attended by the representatives of the member states of the Contact Group which include Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Niger and Azerbaijan. A delegation of the True Representatives of the Kashmiri People also participated.

Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif who led the Pakistan delegation to the meeting, briefed the Contact Group on the political, security and human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Member states of the Contact Group emphasized the importance of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute on the OIC’s agenda and expressed support for the Kashmiri people and their rights and freedoms. They called for an early, peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of a comprehensive Joint Communiqué, reaffirming the OIC’s consistent support for the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The Communique also condemned the banning of a number of Kashmiri political parties and the ongoing campaign to confiscate the properties of the Kashmiri activists. It underscored the so-called election exercises in IIOJK cannot serve as a substitute to the exercise of the right to self determination.

The Contact Group also called upon India to halt the human rights violations in the IIOJK and take steps for the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.