Kashmir, Afghanistan Situation Among Key Issues to Be Outlined By Pakistan PM Imran Khan in UNGA Address

Islamabad, PTI: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will outline the country’s perspective on key regional and global issues, especially on Kashmir and the situation in Afghanistan, in his policy address to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) later this week, according to official sources.

The 76th annual session of the UNGA is set to start in New York from Tuesday and Khan will address the world body through video link, the foreign office said on Monday. Pakistan’s permanent representative at the UN Munir Akram said his country’s priorities at UNGA include highlighting concerns about Kashmir and a strategy for Afghanistan on how to ensure stability, peace, reconciliation and revival of the economy.

“We want the world to realise the threat to peace and security arising from this situation,” said Akram. Sources in the foreign office said Khan would talk about alleged human rights violations in Kashmir which Pakistan claims to have documented in a recent dossier and said has been shared with UN.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all “anti-India” propaganda. Khan would also talk about the global threat of climate change and transfer of corruption money from the poor countries to rich nations.

Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is travelling to New York to take part in various high-level meetings and side-events. He will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts and the UN leadership, foreign office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said.

The spokesperson said the prime minister’s policy address and the foreign minister’s visit to New York will serve to enhance Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach and engagement with its international partners and key institutions. He said Pakistan has always played an active and constructive role in the UN framework and supported the organisation in effective discharge of its mandates for addressing various regional and global issues as well as contemporary challenges. (PTI)