Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, highlighting the human rights violations in Kashmir and Palestine and condemning terrorism, reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peace and dialogue but vowed to resolutely defend the nation against any external aggression or India’s usurpation of water rights.
The prime minister, in his 25-minute address at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly here, encompassed all national, regional, and international issues, including the recent Pakistan-India war, Kashmir, Palestine, terrorism, Afghanistan, ongoing floods in Pakistan and multilateralism.
PM Shehbaz, who spoke for the third time to the 193-member world body, began his remarks highlighting the world’s complexities like intensifying conflicts, violation of international laws, humanitarian crises, disinformation, arms race, emerging technologies and climate change.
He told the world leaders that Pakistan believed in the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy and said that Pakistan confronted the unprovoked Indian aggression in May, proving his words at the UNGA during the previous address true.
“Last year, from this very podium, I had warned that Pakistan would act most decisively against any external aggression. Those words proved true when, in May this year, my country confronted unprovoked aggression from our eastern front.
“The enemy came shrouded in arrogance; we sent them back in humiliation... Our valiant armed forces, under the stellar leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, mounted an operation of stunning professionalism and bravery...Our falcons took flight and etched their answer across the skies resulting in seven of the Indian jets turned to scrap and dust, a decisive response to the aggressor that will echo through the annals of history.”
He said that India sought to extract political gains from a human tragedy by spurning his offer of an investigation into the Pahalgam incident. Instead, it attacked Pakistan’s cities, and targeted innocent civilians compelling the country to respond as per the inherent right of self-defense.
“To the fearless architects of this victory, to every officer and soldier, heirs of our martyrs, their names are forever engraved in glory. To the mothers of our martyrs, their courage guides our path forward and their sacrifice shall never be in vain, Insha’Allah. And to every Pakistani, you stood as one unbreakable wall, a Bunyan Um Marsoos, he remarked.
“We have won the war and now we seek to win peace in our part of the world. This is my most sincere and serious offer before this august assembly of UN. Pakistan stands ready for a composite, comprehensive and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues. South Asia requires “proactive”, rather than “provocative” leadership.”
He said despite being in the position of strength, Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire, facilitated by President Donald Trump’s bold and visionary leadership that averted a more threatening, a full-fledged and catastrophic war between the two nuclear powers.
“Had he not intervened timely and decisively, the consequences of a full-fledged war would have been catastrophic,” he said and told the House that Pakistan nominated President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. “I think this is the least we could do for his love for peace, and I think he is truly a man of peace.”
He also spoke highly of the diplomatic support to Pakistan by China, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Iran, UAE, and the UN Secretary-General.
Coming to the Indian attempt to unilaterally hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, Prime Minister Shehbaz told the General Assembly that Pakistan would definitely and ardently defend the inalienable right of its 240 million people on these waters.
“Pakistan has made it abundantly clear, and let there be no doubt, we will definitely and ardently defend the inalienable right of our 240 million people on these waters. To us, any violation of this treaty represents an act of war,” he said.
He reminded the world that India’s unilateral and illegal attempt to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance defied the provisions of the Treaty itself, as well as, the norms of international law. He told the world body that for nearly eighty years, India had tried to muzzle the voices of the brave people of Kashmir.
He assured the Kashmiri people, that the people of Pakistan stood with them and soon, one day, India’s tyranny in Kashmir would come to a grinding halt.
He said that the Kashmir would gain its fundamental inalienable right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.
“Kashmir will gain its inalienable right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations,” he hoped.
Source: APP
--Agencies
