Shah Mahmood Qureshi, foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, attended the 73rd United Nations General Assembly and on Saturday delivered a comprehensive speech during the general debate session. He expressed Pakistan’s stance very well and included almost all important issues. He covered global issues, regional issues and religious issues, and suggested some measures to improve the situation globally.
It was the first time in the recent history of Pakistan that it had successfully presented its case on Kashmir to the international community and called for an early resolution as the people of Kashmir are suffering human-rights violations at the hands of Indian forces. He pointed out Indian involvement in Pakistan’s internal affairs and alleged its involvement in acts of terrorism in Pakistan. In fact, India has been exposed by at UN report on human-rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir in particular and in general violations against the rights of minorities and the low-caste population.
He also highlighted the Belt and Road Initiative, a multibillion-dollar mega-project of China that aims to promote connectivity, harmony and development. Most of the investment is earmarked for infrastructure development, which would eventually facilitate trade and people-to-people contacts. It will improve understanding among nations and reduce cultural barriers, ultimately resulting in peace, harmony and prosperity. This may be a model of future development of humankind.
He also stressed strengthening the United Nations and making it more effective. In fact, the UN Charter is a perfect roadmap for the world to follow, but some nations have become so strong that they have taken steps without getting UN consent or approval. Some may have even influenced the UN and gotten its tacit approval. All such acts were disastrous for world peace.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi also suggested eight points to be considered by the UN:
- The Sustainable Development Goals must be pursued in order to reduce inequality within and among nations. He hoped the secretary general’s high-level event earlier in the week on financing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda would serve as a catalyst for rapid progress toward realizing the SDGs. The gap of development among nations tempted too many evils. Once the developments are more uniform, some issues could be solved automatically.
- Corruption is a grave crime. Those who provide safe havens to ill-gotten wealth are partners in crime, and equally culpable. Existing international conventions on corruption do not go far enough in addressing this malice. It is time to return looted wealth to its rightful owners, the people, and to take to task both the perpetrators and their abettors. In fact, corruption is a major hurdle in the development of many nations. Once this issue is overcome, the pace of developments may be rapid.
- Climate change poses serious challenges to all states. The Paris Agreement must not be allowed to become hostage to business interests. Even as Pakistan contributes minimally to global emissions, it remains among the most vulnerable. The Pakistani government completed a project to planting of a billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It has now launched an ambitious project of planting 10 billion trees across Pakistan.
- A rules-based global order is vital for the promotion of international trade in goods and services as well as global nuclear commerce and governance mechanisms. Carving out exemptions and bending established rules to suit partisan interests must be eschewed. Pakistan was one of the founder members of the World Trade Organization and is a strong supporter of globalization. In fact, it was the Western world that championed globalization, but in the last couple of years, some of the Western developed countries, especially the US, are exercising protectionism.
- An objective and transparent criterion must be evolved to facilitate trade in strategic goods and membership of groupings governing it. This is essential for countries pursuing economic growth and development. It will provide an opportunity to develop their economies and narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.
- The sanctity and integrity of international agreements must be maintained. Strategic stability must be nurtured by policies of restraint and responsibility, not by considerations of profits and politics. Relations between the states must be based on helping mankind, and not limited to material gains only.
- Technology and innovation are key to reshaping the world’s states and societies. There must be a prudent balance between guarding against misuse of emerging technologies and facilitating their access to developing countries. It is essential to develop universally agreed legal frameworks in the area of cybersecurity, lethal autonomous weapons systems, artificial intelligence and weaponization of outer space. Science, technology, and innovation may be used as an engine of growth for civilian technologies and development of socio-economic conditions of a state.
- Dislocation of people in recent years, primarily because of wars but also due to pervasive poverty, has energized the global debate on refugees and migrants. The deliberations leading to the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migrants represent a step in the right direction. The true litmus test of these compacts lies in the effective implementation of commitments.
Pakistan is fully committed to peace and will keep on struggling for it until lasting peace is achieved.
Would Professor Awan care to clarify to Kashmiris as to by what date Pakistan will withdraw all its troops from Pakistan occupied Kashmir as per the resolution passed by the UN in 1948?
Along with that, as per the resolution, they have to remove their tribes- Peshawaris and Pakhtunkhwas of Pakistan, who on the direction of Jinnah illegally occupied lands in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir during 1947-48, which is also not possible at this moment.
Pakistan is there to protect kashmiri people from the rogue Indian Army.
Both India & Afghanistan were behind the attack on APS school in Peshawar while both India & US were behind the attack in Mastung.
Humsaiya Daish we all know who needs to be protected and from whom so better look at your urself and before praising distorted report of UN,why don’t you follow the directions of UN stating Pak to vacate illegally occupied area of JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Shehryar Ashraf …..then you hardly know about the UN resolution no. 47 of 1948. Go, first read the resolution then come to debate. Google "United Nations Security Council Resolution 47"
Shehryar Ashraf : Just vacate POK and hand it over to INDIA, you are in illegal occupation of INDIAN LAND.
Well communicated the Pakistan’s stance among the people of Pakistan and international community.
Falcon Dave , yes, Hindus are also occupying Delhi, which has remained the capital of Muslim rule for 800 years, India must vacate Delhi alongside Kashmir because these belong to Pakistan.
Deepankkor, UN resolution ask both India and Pakistan to vacate the valley, demilitirize it, both countries are bound to vacate Kashmir and allow the people of kashmir to exercise their right of self- determination under UN auspieces to decide wether they want to be annexed to India or Pakistan. Without troops withdrawl, how will it be possible to hold plebesite? The lasting peace can only be achieved through resolving the Kashmir issue. Through plebesite all will become crystal clear whom Kashmir belongs to. Otherwise, no peace can be achieved and no progress would be possible and the region will keep suuffering from the worst levels of poverty along both side of line of control and along both side of the indo-Pak border.
Rohit Pandeya, who told you kargil is an Indian territory? It’s a disputed territory, and as per the UN resolutions, there ought to held the plebesite under the supervision of UN peace keepers. Don’t post silly comments.
Muhammad Fayyaz ….first learn to address properly (read my name). Second, go and read UN resolution 47, 1948, you hardly know that. It was a step wise process, and India was meant to keep minimum force to keep law and order while conducting plebiscite, where as pakistan needed to remove all its forces and tribes from its illegal occupation.
Third, if we go by your "Delhi logic", islam must be removed from India itself, as Turkish invaded India during Nadir Shah period, as well as the entire earth, as those places where islam spreaded and flourised once belonged to Buddhism. Don’t argue regarding religious matter, your behavour can hurt someone’s sentiments and faith like you getting hurt by my statement.
Jan sartaj, you are right, but H.E Nawaz sharif never mentioned Indian sponsored terrorism in Pakistan, he didn’t mention Kalbhoshin an Indian spy, involved in brutal bombing and killings of hundreds of people in Pakistan. I don’t think India will take it seriously until an all out war is launched to liberate the Indian occupied kashmir. Pakistan must realise now that fanatic Hindutva will never abide by the UN resolutions on kashmir. Hence an all out war seems inevitable and the only way to fulfil the dreams of the major world players, whose very bread and butter( businesses and prosperity) is associated with export of weapons. If Indians don’t have the wit to understand this simple theory, then let it be like that. Let us do it once for all. No roots no fruits, hence no bamboo no flute.