NEW YORK(National Times)- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will speak about Kashmir and Palestine in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said on Sunday.
Giving a media briefing in New York about the prime minister’s visit, Ahmad said multilateral cooperation, climate change and the current global situation would also be part of Shehbaz’s speech.
The prime minister will address the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on September 25.
He is also expected to meet several world leaders during the visit, the ambassador said.
Ahmad said Pakistan was also working to arrange a meeting between Shehbaz and Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook.
The prime minister’s visit comes as the UNGA high-level session gets under way in New York, with the Middle East conflict expected to figure prominently in discussions between world leaders.
The Foreign Office has said Shehbaz will highlight Pakistan’s position on major international issues during his visit.
His address, according to the FO, will cover sustainable development, climate change, counterterrorism, Islamophobia, global economic challenges, UN reforms and issues confronting the Global South, while he will also draw attention to Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.
The FO has also said Pakistan will continue to call for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is already in New York and has been holding meetings with foreign ministers and other officials ahead of Shehbaz’s arrival.
Dar is also scheduled to attend meetings on Kashmir and Palestine on the sidelines of the UNGA session.
Pakistan has been calling for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza and has continued to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on relevant UN resolutions.
Islamabad has also regularly raised the Kashmir dispute at the UN and called for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
On September 14, Ambassador Ahmad told Geo News that the country was seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue and international and UN-backed mechanisms.
Ahmad said Pakistan was working to bring about a ceasefire, reduce tensions and bring the parties back to the negotiating table as the regional situation continues to deteriorate.
“Our effort is to find a peaceful and international solution to the conflict under UN laws,” Ahmad said, stressing that the immediate priority was to stop the fighting and reduce tensions.
He said the UN Security Council Charter provided for disputes to be resolved through negotiations rather than war.
“The Security Council’s Charter is meant to resolve conflicts through negotiations, not war,” he said.
The diplomat acknowledged that the situation was moving in a negative direction but said Pakistan was conscious of the need to play a role in preventing further escalation.
“We acknowledge that the situation is moving in a negative direction. We are aware of it and believe that we have to play our role,” he said.
