The Government of Pakistan has time and again reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm commitment to a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the protection of their fundamental rights. This message was forcefully reaffirmed by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. India has till date not implemented the UN Security Council resolution on Kashmir that mandates UN-supervised plebiscite for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and this situation can no longer be ignored.
The prime minster spoke very eloquently in his address to the UNGA and reiterated the commitment of Pakistan in the fight against terror. But he warned that “What Pakistan is not prepared to do is to fight the Afghan war on Pakistan’s soil. Nor can we endorse any failed strategy that will prolong and intensify the suffering of the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan and other regional countries.” This was a clear message that Pakistan will not fight other countries’ wars. While Pakistan is willing to engage with the Afghans and cooperate with them to safeguard their land it cannot do so at the cost of its own sovereignty.
PM Abbasi said that thousands of Pakistanis have been killed by extremists since the launch of the US war on terror and that Pakistan had fought the war against terror from its own resources with economic losses estimated at over $120 billion. Thus a peaceful Afghanistan is necessary for a peaceful Pakistan as well and in this regard Pakistan will extend all its help.
The PM also touched upon many other conflicted regions such as Iraq, Yemen and Palestine and the current crisis of Rohingyas in Myanmar which is an affront to humanity. This ethnic cleansing has to stop and I agree with the prime minister that rising racism and religious hatred is only erecting further barriers between people.
It was heartening that PM Abbasi in his speech termed climate change a new and existential threat to mankind’s future. He said the ever increasing extreme climate events were global and indiscriminate and since Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable states to climate changes it wishes that the goals of the Paris Agreement are achieved. Pakistan is worst hit in terms of rising temperatures that are being generated by the activities of other countries and so it needs the help of international community especially USA to combat climate change.
Prime Minister Abbasi shared with the UNGA that Pakistan’s economy had a turnaround in the past four years. He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would further contribute to the economy. With 207 million youthful population, he said, Pakistan is confident that an economic strategy anchored on rising incomes, consumption and production would propel it towards greater prosperity.
Along with his address to the UNGA, the PM separately met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and gave him a dossier on human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir. He urged the secretary to appoint a special envoy on Kashmir. India should respond to Pakistan’s earnest efforts to resolve the outstanding issue amicably through a peaceful mechanism of dialogue process and the UN must assist in securing for Kashmiris their rights. The two men also discussed the need for a settlement to bring lasting peace to Afghanistan. The Secretary General appreciated Pakistan’s counter terrorism operations and also its peacekeeping efforts on behalf of the UN.
The prime minister has had a successful trip to USA where he has met the US Vice President Mike Pence, engaged with the US business community and addressed the Council for Foreign Relations. Also on the sidelines of the UN, he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and participated in a meeting of the OIC among other engagements.
While the relations between USA and Pakistan remain tense after the new Afghan policy announced by President Trump, all is not lost. As Prime Minister Abbasi during his trip to USA said time and again that it is how you look at things and in his opinion things were not as bad as they seemed. Yes, relations need to be improved but the two countries are still engaging with each other and keeping channels of dialogue open. The PM’s speech at the UN will also go a long way in showing the world that Pakistan is a strong and proud nation that will not stand for any interference in its affairs by India, USA or any other nation. Pakistan is willing to have open dialogues and keep communication channels open with all; and that is the best way to ensure its cooperation and goodwill.
