PM to address 79th session of UNGA today

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the 79th session of the UN General Assembly today (Friday).

At her weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the Prime Minister will raise the issues of international concern including the question of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir dispute at the world forum.

The spokesperson said Pakistan will continue to highlight the importance of resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute for lasting peace and stability in South Asia.

She said Pakistan has called on the UN to use its good offices for implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir and for ensuring the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people.

Responding to a question regarding the recent terrorist incident in Swat, the spokesperson expressed Pakistan’s commitment to providing full security to diplomats. She said we encourage the foreign diplomats to explore Pakistan and to follow the guidelines that have been shared with them on several occasions with regard to their travel to any part of Pakistan. She said the security agencies are investigating Swat incident. She said we are in the process of developing guidelines to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.

Voicing concerns over the security situation in Middle East owing to Israel’s expanding adventurism and disregard of international law, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Israel’s latest aggression against Lebanon is a grave violation of the UN Charter and international law. She said this dangerous escalation has further threatened peace and security in an already volatile region. She said Pakistan condemns this aggression and reaffirms its unwavering support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

She called upon international community to take immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its acts of international terrorism and its war crimes and crimes against humanity.