LONDON: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said he presented Pakistan’s stance on different issues, including Palestine and Kashmir before the world, in his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Addressing a news conference in London, The Prime Minister said, “At the United Nations, I represented the Muslim Ummah strongly.” The Prime Minister said he held meetings with different world leaders in New York on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly session.
The Prime Minister said he held fruitful talks with world leaders including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chief Executive of Bangladesh Dr Muhammad Yunus, President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Iraq Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and others.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said during his speech at the UN General Assembly, he raised a forceful voice on the Palestine issue saying that Palestine should be immediately given full membership in the United Nations.
“We strongly condemned Israeli barbarism and atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza, and demanded immediate halt to bloodshed of the Palestinians,” the Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he also raised his voice on the gross human rights violations and cruelties being carried out by Indian occupation forces on Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The Prime Minister said the Kashmiri people should be given their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and holding Plebiscite as promised by the Kashmiris.
Criticizing his predecessors, The Prime Minister accused the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of sabotaging Pakistan-China relations and halting the progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
PM Shehbaz said, “The last government destroyed Pak-China relations and completely halted CPEC.” He added that the economic and diplomatic relations between the two nations are now being restored.
PM Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the dire state of Pakistan’s economy when his government took charge, asserting that the country was on the verge of default. He credited Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir for his crucial efforts in securing a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Prime Minister said that the IMF program would not have been possible without the support of China, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
“I fully thank them for again contributing efforts to bring Pakistan out of the economic crisis,” PM Shehbaz said.
While appreciating IMF, the Prime Minister said: “We will have to save each penny, cut expenses and provide resources to the people at their doorsteps. This is the time that we have to hard work and promote meritocracy.”
