UNGA president pins hope on PM Imran’s govt

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–Maria Fernanda Espinosa says she has been encouraged to see that PTI govt “is aligned towards shaping a new future for the people of Pakistan”

 

ISLAMABAD: UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa has lauded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s initiatives, saying she has been encouraged to see that the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan is aligned towards shaping a new future for the people of Pakistan.

In an interview on Saturday, she said this new future is based on combating poverty, corruption and opening up to investments and tourism.

She said Pakistan is a beautiful country which has so much diversity and so much to show to the world, adding that the country is on the right track.

Regarding women empowerment in Pakistan, she said there has been a lot of improvement as several women are holding high-level positions in the country and have strong voices in shaping public opinion.

Particularly mentioning Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi, she said the envoy is one of the strongest voices in New York, adding that Lodhi is a great advocate for Pakistan and its agenda on sustainable development goals.

The UNGA president also lauded Pakistan’s contribution in the war against terrorism.

She said Pakistan has waged a successful and sustained effort against terrorism and its anti-terror efforts have been recognised by the international community.

The UNGA president further said that Pakistan’s overall role in regional peace and security is commendable. She said the country is playing a very constructive role in the Afghan peace process.

She also appreciated the way Pakistan generously hosted millions of Afghan refugees over the last several decades.

Espinosa noticed that over two million Afghan refugees are still living in Pakistan.  This, she said, speaks volume about Pakistan’s commitment to peace and security and international law.

Responding to a question, Espinosa pointed out that Pakistan is amongst the most important contributors to the UN peacekeeping missions across the world, adding that this reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the United Nations and peace and security.

Espinosa expressed confidence that Pakistan will continue to be supportive of UN’s peace keeping operations.

She said Pakistan is a very strong and reliable partner of the UN and of the multilateralism system.

She added that the UN country team in Pakistan is working with the government in its endeavors to fight poverty and inequalities.