PICTURE: RADIO PAKISTAN
Mumtaz Hussain
NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the United Nations General Assembly that Pakistan wants a Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.
“We must work for a durable peace through the Two-State solution. We must seek a viable, secure, contiguous and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its eternal capital. And, to advance these goals, Palestine must also be immediately admitted, as a full member of the United Nations,” he said in his speech which was his second as the prime minister of Pakistan.
Mr Sharif said in a span of a few days Israel’s unrelenting bombing of Lebanon had killed over 500 people, including women and even small children.
“The failure to implement UN resolutions has emboldened Israel. It threatens to drag the entire Middle East into a war whose consequences could be grave and beyond imagination.
The prime minister said that like in Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir too had struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination.
But instead of moving towards peace, India has deviated from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. These resolutions mandated a plebiscite to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination.
Since 5th August 2019, India has initiated, unilateral illegal steps to impose what it’s leaders ominously call a final solution for Jammu and Kashmir.
“Day in and day out, nine hundred thousand Indian troops terrorize the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir with draconian measures, including prolonged curfews, extra-judicial killings and the abduction of, thousands of young Kashmiris,” he added.
At the same time, India is seizing, Kashmiri lands and properties and settling outsiders into occupied Jammu and Kashmir in its nefarious design to transform the Muslim-majority into a minority.
“This hackneyed tactic is employed by all occupying powers, but it has always failed. In Jammu and Kashmir too, it shall fail, InshaAllah!”
Kashmiri people, are resolute, in rejection, of the false Indian identity, that New Delhi, seeks to impose upon them. India’s policy of brutal coercion and oppression, in occupied Kashmir has ensured that Burhan Wani’s legacy continues to inspire, the struggle and sacrifices, of millions of Kashmiris.
Inspired by the legitimacy, of their epic struggle, they remain defiant. Their heart-wrenching stories, remind us, that behind, every statistic, lies a human life, a dream deferred, and a hope shattered.
Even more worryingly, the prime minister added, India is engaged in a massive expansion of its military capabilities which are, essentially, deployed against Pakistan. Its war doctrines, envisage a surprise attack and a “limited war under, the nuclear overhang”.
Thoughtlessly, India has spurned Pakistan’s proposals for a mutual strategic restraint regime. Its leadership has often threatened to cross the Line of Control and take-over Azad Kashmir. He warned Pakistan will respond, most decisively, to any Indian aggression.
“Therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5 August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
PM Sharif also highlighted the growing issue of Islamophobia, which he said was now manifested by frequent desecration of the Holy Quran, attacks on mosques, negative stereotyping of Muslims and acts of discrimination and violence against them.
The most alarming manifestation, of Islamophobia is the Hindu supremacist agenda in India. It aggressively seeks, the subjugation of 200 million Muslims and the obliteration, of India’s Islamic heritage.
Pakistan and the OIC will work with the UN Secretary General and his special envoy to implement a plan of action to combat this scourge.
The prime minister told the UN that for over two decades Pakistan had fought terrorism boldly and most successfully, defeating terrorist groups within Pakistan.
“We have paid a heavy price, 80,000 of our brave soldiers and civilians, have been martyred, including innocent school going children, memories of APS school carnage haunt us till date. Our economy has suffered a loss of $150 billion.
“Unfortunately, today we are again confronted by a new wave of externally financed and sponsored terrorism, especially by the TTP, BLA, Majeed Brigade, Fitna al-Khawarij and its associates.” He said his country was determined to continue the fight and eliminate the menace of terrorism.
He also said that Pakistan seeks the earliest possible normalization of the situation in Afghanistan. We join the UN’s appeal for $3 billion in humanitarian assistance to the millions of suffering Afghan brothers and sisters.
At the same time, we endorse and share, the international expectation, that the Afghan interim government would respect, human rights, including the rights of women and girls and promote political inclusion.
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