Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned that Pakistan will give a befitting response to any Indian aggression, as he slammed the intransigence of the Narendra Modi-led government and called for the world to take notice of the plight of Kashmiris.
In a 21-minute address at the plenary meeting for the U.N. General Debate at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he also discussed the Israeli assault on Gaza and Lebanon; the Ukraine war; climate change, global poverty; and Pakistan’s attempts to stabilize its economy.
“It’s an honor for me to address the United Nations General Assembly for the second time as the prime minister of the country that has always been the proactive member of the U.N. Assembly,” he said, recalling Pakistan’s founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had declared in 1947 the country stood by the U.N. Charter and would “gladly make our full contribution to peace and prosperity of the world.” Pakistan has stood by this commitment unwaveringly,” he stressed.
“Today, we are facing most daunting challenges to the world order—Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, a dangerous conflict in Ukraine, destructive conflicts across Africa and Asia, rising geo-political tensions resurging terrorism, galloping poverty, stifling debt and a mounting impact of climate change. We feel the chill of a new cold war,” he said, comparing the situation of Gaza to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The people of the occupied territory, he stressed, have struggled “too,” for a century, for their freedom, and right to self-determination.
“Instead of moving towards peace, India has resiled from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Kashmir dispute,” he said. “These resolutions mandate a plebiscite to enable the Kashmiris to exercise, their fundamental right to self-determination,” he added.
Referring to Delhi’s Aug. 5, 2019 unilateral abrogation of IIOJK’s special constitutional status, he said these illegal attempts had sought to impose what its leaders ominously call a “Final Solution” for the occupied territory. “Day in and day out, 900,000 Indian troops terrorize the people of occupied Kashmir with draconian measures, including prolonged curfews, extra-judicial killings, and the abduction of thousands of young Kashmiris,” he said.
“At the same time, in a classic settler-colonial project, India is seizing Kashmiri lands and properties, and settling outsiders into occupied Jammu and Kashmir, their nefarious design to transform the Muslim-majority into a minority. This hackneyed tactic is employed by all occupying powers, but it has always failed. In Jammu and Kashmir too, it shall fail, by Grace of God!” he vowed.
He noted the Kashmiri people remained “resolute” in rejecting any “fake” Indian identity New Delhi sought to impose upon them. India’s brutal coercive and oppressive tactics, he said, had enabled an ongoing inspiration from Burhan Wani’s legacy for millions of Kashmiris.
The prime minister also pointed to India’s expansion of its military capabilities, claiming these were deployed against Pakistan. “Its war doctrines envisage a surprise attack and a limited war under the nuclear overhang,” he said, adding Delhi had rejected Islamabad’s proposals for a mutual, “Strategic Restraint Regime.”
Referring to various speeches of Indian leaders, he said they had threatened to cross the Line of Control and take-over Azad Kashmir. “Let me state, in no uncertain terms, that Pakistan will respond, most decisively, to any Indian aggression,” he warned. Durable peace, he said, required India to reverse the steps of Aug. 5, 2019, and commit to dialogue for a resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Gaza
On Gaza, P.M. Sharif demanded an immediate end to ongoing Israeli atrocities. “This is not just a conflict; this is systematic slaughter of innocent people. An assault on the very essence of human life and dignity. 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, lamenting humanity suffered as the endless suffering of Palestinians persisted.
“It is not enough to condemn. We must act now, and demand an immediate end to this bloodshed. We must remember that the blood and sacrifice of the innocent Palestinians will never go waste,” he said, urging the U.N. to work toward durable peace through a two-state solution. “We must seek a viable, secure, contiguous and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its eternal capital,” he said, and demanded Palestine be admitted as a full U.N. member. He also noted the recent launch of an “unrelenting” Israeli bombing in Lebanon that had killed over 500 people.
“The failure to implement U.N. resolutions has emboldened Israel. It threatens to drag the entire Middle East into a war, whose consequences could be grave and beyond imagination,” he warned.
Global crises
Apart from conflicts, the prime minister noted the cascade of crises threatening the world order, including the reversal of development, and the mounting impact of climate change. Referring to the 2022 floods in Pakistan, he recalled they caused $30 billion in damages despite the country contributing less than 1% to global carbon emissions.
“This is unfair in any calculus of global justice. We must uphold the axiom: the polluter must pay,” he said and urged developed countries to fulfill their climate financing commitment in support of SDGs and climate goals. He further noted the debt burden of nearly 100 countries was a “death trap” that hampered their ability to advance and called for aligning world trade and technology regimes to promote development and global equity.
Discussing his government’s achievements, Sharif noted it had taken difficult decisions to prevent the economy from collapsing, restoring macroeconomic stability, controlling fiscal deficits and strengthening reserves. “As a result, inflation has come to a single digit,” he said, adding the government had also committed to the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and established the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to mobilize investments in resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, minerals, sustainable agriculture and technology.
Sharif noted Pakistan had sacrificed around 80,000 soldiers and civilians and suffered economic loss worth $150 billion in its fight against terrorism. He vowed the country would continue this fight against “externally financed and sponsored” terrorism, especially by the Fitna al-Khawarij (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and its associates. “Make no mistake: we are determined to eliminate this threat once again, through our comprehensive national effort, Azm-e-Istehkam. And we will work collectively with the international community to combat all forms of terrorism and reform the global counter-terrorism architecture,” he stressed.
On Afghanistan, the prime minister said Pakistan desired speedy normalization of its neighbor and endorsed the U.N.’s appeal for $3 billion in humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people. He urged the interim Afghan government to meet international expectations to respect human rights, including the rights of women and girls; promote political inclusion; and take effective action to neutralize all terrorist groups within its soil, especially those responsible for cross-border terrorism.
On Islamophobia, Sharif said it was manifest in frequent desecrations of the holy Quran, attacks on mosques, negative stereotyping of Muslims and acts of discrimination and violence against them. The most alarming manifestation of Islamophobia was the Hindu supremacist agenda in India, he said, seeking the subjugation of 200 million Muslims and the obliteration of India’s Islamic heritage.
He vowed Pakistan and the OIC would work with the U.N. secretary general and his special envoy to implement a plan of action to combat this scourge.
Additionally, Sharif also sought an immediate end to the conflict in Ukraine through a peaceful resolution and reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to continue to cooperate with Africa to counter terrorism and resolve regional conflicts, including through its role in U.N. peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions.