Pakistan has consistently brought up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in various UN forums, regardless of the meeting’s main agenda. Recently, Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar addressed the UN General Assembly and reiterated the significance of Kashmir in achieving peace between India and Pakistan.
In his speech during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly’s General Debate, Kakar expressed Pakistan’s desire for peaceful and mutually beneficial relationships with all its neighbors, including India. He stressed that Kashmir holds the key to peace between the two countries.
Kakar emphasized the critical link between development and peace, underscoring that Pakistan is located in one of the world’s least economically integrated regions. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fostering peaceful and productive relations with all its neighbors, with India being a primary focus.
Furthermore, Kakar called upon the UN Security Council to ensure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir. He also advocated for strengthening the UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). Additionally, Kakar urged global powers to persuade New Delhi to accept Pakistan’s proposal for mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons.
In response, India has consistently conveyed its desire for normal and friendly relations with Pakistan, but it insists on an environment devoid of terrorism, hostility, and violence. India has reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, is and will always remain an integral and inseparable part of the country. India has advised Pakistan to focus on its internal issues rather than continuously raising the Kashmir matter and making baseless allegations against India.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated following India’s decision to revoke Article 370 of its Constitution on August 5, 2019, which resulted in the removal of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shifting the discussion to Afghanistan, Kakar stressed the strategic importance of peace in the region for Pakistan. Pakistan shares the international community’s concerns regarding Afghanistan, particularly regarding the rights of women and girls. Pakistan advocates for continued humanitarian aid to support the vulnerable Afghan population, especially women and girls, as well as the revival of Afghanistan’s economy and the implementation of connectivity projects with Central Asia.
Kakar also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to combating terrorism originating from Afghanistan and condemned cross-border terrorist attacks on Pakistan by groups such as the TTP and Daesh, which operate from Afghan territory. Pakistan has sought cooperation from Kabul to prevent these attacks and is taking measures to address terrorism encouraged from outside its borders.
