UNGA president lauds Pakistan’s efforts for peace, stability in Afghanistan
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called upon the United Nations (UN) to play its role for resolution of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir disputes which have been on the agenda of the UN Security Council for over seven decades.
The foreign minister said this while addressing a joint press conference along with UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir after holding talks on Thursday.
Qureshi said there are similarities between Palestinian situation and that of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the oppressed peoples in both the territories faced with the worst form of human rights violations are demanding their right to self-determination.
He categorically stated that the Kashmir dispute is a reality and nobody can remove it from the agenda of the UN Security Council. He said that Pakistan expects the UN to continue to play its leadership role for the revival of peace process in the Middle East. He said the fire there can be extinguished through dialogue and a two state solution in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. He said timely humanitarian assistance should also be provided to the Palestinians affected by the Israeli aggression.
He said that Pakistan has supported the Afghan reconciliation process and will continue to do so. He said Pakistan is supportive of the Istanbul process and an international conference that should take place at the earliest in Istanbul.
The President of the UN General Assembly said that both Palestine and Kashmir disputes are of the same age. He reiterated that the UN position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is governed by its charter and the applicable Security Council resolutions.
He appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace and stability in Afghanistan. He was also appreciative of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project, debt relief initiative and the steps taken to check the spread of Covid-19.
Earlier in the day, during a meeting with President Bozkir at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qureshi stated that establishing peace in the Middle East without resolving the Palestine issue on a permanent basis is impossible.
“A ceasefire was the first step towards stopping Israeli atrocities,” the FM said. “The implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions is the only just solution to the issues of Palestine and Kashmir.”
Welcoming the UNGA president, who arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit on Wednesday, the foreign minister appreciated the president’s efforts to convene an emergency session of the General Assembly on Palestine. Similarly, the foreign minister maintained that there could be no peace in South Asia either unless the Kashmir issue is resolved.
He said Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan and intends to continue playing a conciliatory role in the Afghan peace process. He appreciated the UNGA president’s ‘Vaccine for All’ initiative, adding that it was necessary to make everyone safe if the pandemic had to be overcome.
Bozkir also lauded Qureshi’s efforts in highlighting the issue of Palestine. Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood was also present at the meeting.
