Pakistan has called for exit of all foreign forces from Syria, cessation of all hostilities, and ending supply of weapons to all sides as it urged intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in the Arab country.
“The Syrian crisis should not be despatched to a back-burner; it should not be treated as a fixture of peace and security politics or a chronic conflict, Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Masood Khan said, according to diplomatic sources.
He made the statement as the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi briefed on Syria.
“We agree with the shared determination of the secretary general and Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi that Syria constitutes the biggest peace and security and humanitarian crisis facing the world,” Ambassador Khan said.
The permanent representative noted that talks could not succeed if fierce military operations continued in parallel.
“Drivers of conflict have to be removed to create conditions for lasting peace in Syria. The evil pernicious trajectory of terrorism should not be underestimated. All foreign forces and elements must withdraw from Syria.
“Finally, we call for cessation of all hostilities, ending supply of weapons to all sides, and expansion of humanitarian access”.
He remarked that the assessment of the situation by the secretary general and the joint envoy is sobering.
The killing spree continues, people are taking flight to escape the fury of the conflict that is entering into its fourth year, and those in their homes are not safe. Syria’s economy is devastated; terrorism is flourishing; and the Geneva talks are stalled. Syrian neighbourhood is experiencing volatility and turbulence, he said.
The Security Council’s decisions and the efforts the secretary general and Brahimi and the US and Russia have not ended the conflict and restored peace and stability in Syria.
There has been some progress in eliminating chemical weapons and easing humanitarian access. But the most lethal killings are being perpetrated by use of conventional weapons; and the sheer volume of the humanitarian plight is growing by the day.
As stated by the secretary general and Brahimi on Saturday the myth of military victory has been shattered.
“The brunt of the Syrian conflict is being borne by Syrian civilians, men, women, and children – millions of them – who are not even a party to the conflict”.
Ambassador Khan observed that the international community should not wait; but it has for past three years, because its actions have had only limited impact.
The government and opposition groups of Syria should not wait. They should step forward to stop further killing of Syrians by Syrians. Would the two sides start talking when another one hundred thousand Syrians have been killed.
