NEWYORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said Pakistan stands ready for a composite, comprehensive, and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues.
Addressing the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Prime Minister said South Asia requires proactive rather than provocative leadership. He added that Pakistan has won the war with India recently, and now it seeks to win peace.
The Prime Minister said India’s unilateral and illegal attempt to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance defies the provisions of the treaty itself, as well as the norms of international law. He made it clear that Pakistan will definitely and ardently defend the inseparable right of its 240 million people to these waters. He said any violation of the Indus Waters Treaty represents an act of war.
Talking about recent Indian aggression, the Prime Minister said Pakistan believes in peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. He recalled that he had warned last year from this podium that Pakistan would act most decisively against any external aggression.
He said Pakistan confronted unprovoked aggression from its eastern front. He said the enemy came shrouded in arrogance but Pakistan sent them back in humiliation, delivering a bloody nose.
Shehbaz Sharif said India sought to extract political gains from a human tragedy by spurning his sincere offer of an independent international investigation into the Pahalgam incident. He said instead, it attacked Pakistani cities and targeted innocent civilians.
He said when our territorial integrity and national security were violated, our response was in accordance with the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
The Prime Minister said the valiant armed forces of Pakistan, under the steadfast leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir mounted an operation of stunning professionalism, bravery and acumen.
The Prime Minister further highlighted that the enemy’s attack was repulsed by Pakistan Air Force falcons who etched their answer across the skies, resulting in seven of the Indian jets turned to scrap and dust.
He also commended US President Donald Trump’s efforts for peace to help avert a more threatening war in South Asia. He also expressed gratitude to China, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Iran, UAE, and the UN Secretary General for extending their diplomatic support to Pakistan at this crucial time.
Highlighting the freedom struggle of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir against the Indian oppression, Shehbaz Sharif assured Kashmiris that Pakistan stands with them, and India’s tyranny in Kashmir will come to a grinding halt.
He expressed the confidence that Kashmir will gain its fundamental right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.
On Palestine, the Prime Minister said Israel’s genocidal onslaught in Gaza has unleashed unspeakable terror on women and children. He said Pakistan firmly supports the demand of the Palestinian people for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds al Sharif as its capital.
Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan condemns this menace in all its forms and manifestations. He said Pakistan has been at the front line of global counterterrorism efforts for over two decades, having suffered over 90,000 casualties.
He said today Pakistan faces externally sponsored terrorism, particularly from foreign-funded groups, such as the TTP, Fitna al-Khawarij, Fitna al-Hindustan, BLA and its Majeed Brigade.
The Prime Minister said that these groups, operating from Afghan soil, are responsible for some of the most heinous attacks inside Pakistan, including the dastardly Jaffar Express train incident earlier this year.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan has a direct stake in a peaceful Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan believes that the key to development and prosperity lies in regional stability and connectivity. He said Pakistan continues to engage with all partners to extend humanitarian assistance, promote economic recovery, and encourage inclusive political framework in Afghanistan. He said the interim Afghan government must uphold human rights, including women’s rights.
Shehbaz Sharif urged the Afghan interim government to take effective action against terrorist groups and ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against any country.
Emphasizing the need for harmony and peaceful co-existence, the Prime Minister said there must be no space for hate speech, discrimination or violence against any person, or against any religion. He said hate-driven ideologies, such as India’s Hindutva-driven extremism, pose a danger to the entire world.
He said Pakistan welcomes the appointment of a UN Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia.
On climate change, Shehbaz Sharif said the issue demands the most urgent collective action. He said Pakistan faced massive floods of humongous proportions that caused huge losses amounting to 34 billion dollars and many valuable lives lost in 2022. This year again, Pakistan is dealing with another mega flood which devastated thousands of villages.
He said millions of people are displaced, more than a thousand killed and crops, livestock and property worth billions of dollars have been washed away in these recent floods. He mentioned that the catastrophic floods of 2022 and 2025 are glaring examples of loss and damage caused due to climate change.
He said Pakistan contributes less than one percent of global emissions annually, yet it continues to face the relentless brunt of climate change.
Highlighting Pakistan’s strategic partnership with China, the Prime Minister said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under President Xi Jinping’s landmark Belt and Road Initiative is contributing to our progress.
Talking about Pakistan’s role in the United Nations, he said as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council we are playing our constructive role in conflict prevention. He said the unanimous adoption of Resolution 2788 under our Presidency of the Council has renewed our collective commitment to multilateralism, respect for the UN Charter, and effective implementation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The Prime Minister further reiterated that Pakistan will always stand for peace, justice, and development, for a revitalized United Nations and cooperative multilateralism.
