NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, presented Pakistan’s position on global peace, regional security, Kashmir, Palestine and terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
Beginning his speech with a recitation from the Holy Quran, the prime minister said it was an honour to address the General Assembly for the fourth time and represent Pakistan’s 240 million peaceful people.
He also praised UN Secretary-General António Guterres for his leadership and efforts for global peace and poverty reduction.
Warning to India over water
Shehbaz issued a strong warning to India, saying any attempt to block or divert Pakistan’s water would be considered an “act of war.”
He said India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty had no legal basis, stressing that water should never be used as a weapon. Rivers, he said, were meant to irrigate nations rather than divide them.
Calling for measures to prevent South Asia from returning to the brink of war, the prime minister said a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute was essential for lasting regional peace.
He said the people of Kashmir had been waiting for the fulfilment of UN commitments for eight decades and alleged that Indian forces continued to carry out illegal occupation, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and collective punishment in the region.
Shehbaz reiterated Pakistan’s support for the Kashmiri people, saying Islamabad would continue its political, diplomatic and moral support until their right to self-determination was achieved.
Referring to the recent conflict with India, he said Pakistan’s armed forces had repelled the Indian attack and delivered what he described as an unforgettable response.
Trump, Asim Munir and diplomacy
The prime minister said former US President Donald Trump’s timely intervention had helped prevent a war between the two nuclear-armed countries, potentially saving millions of lives in South Asia.
Highlighting Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts, Shehbaz said Islamabad had also played a role in bringing Washington and Tehran to the negotiating table in Islamabad.
He praised Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar for their contributions to safeguarding Pakistan’s security through defence and diplomatic efforts.
Shehbaz also described the unanimous adoption of a UN resolution on the peaceful settlement of disputes under Pakistan’s presidency as a significant diplomatic achievement.
Afghanistan and terrorism
Expressing concern over regional instability, the prime minister alleged that Afghan territory was being used by the TTP (Fitna al-Khawarij) and BLA (Fitna al-Hindustan) to carry out attacks against Pakistan.
He called for an immediate end to attacks and cross-border infiltration from Afghanistan and urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to take decisive action to prevent their territory from being used against Pakistan.
Shehbaz also called for respect for the fundamental rights of Afghan citizens, particularly women and girls.
He said Pakistan had lost around 100,000 lives and suffered more than $150 billion in economic losses in the fight against terrorism.
Makkah defence agreement and Middle East
Addressing the situation in the Middle East, Shehbaz said the security and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain could not be compromised.
Condemning a drone attack on Makkah, he said the incident had caused widespread anger across the Muslim world.
The prime minister clarified that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye was not directed against any country, but was aimed at regional defence, stability and peace.
On Gaza, Shehbaz highlighted the suffering of Palestinian civilians and referred to the deaths of Hind Rajab and eight-year-old Wafa Aqila.
He accused Israel of pursuing an agenda of genocide through the forced displacement of Palestinians and called for an immediate end to Israeli military actions against Lebanon and Syria.
