PM Shehbaz meets Joe Biden at US president's reception

NEW YORK: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif attended a reception hosted by United States President Joe Biden in the honor of the heads of government participating in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

President Biden and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met during the reception.

Both the leaders expressed good wishes for each other. The heads of state of other countries also attended the dinner.

Earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz said that Indian troops unleashed a reign of terror in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to the right to self-determination of the valley’s people.

Addressing the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), PM Shehbaz said that the Kashmir dispute remains a pressing concern on the Security Council’s agenda, with Pakistan advocating for a resolution based on UN resolutions and the will of the Kashmiri people.

“It is an honour for me to address the United Nations General Assembly for the second time as the prime minister of the country that has always been the proactive member of the UN Assembly,” PM Shehbaz said while starting the speech.

PM Shehbaz in his address to the UNGA also highlighted the sufferings of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and said that Modi-led Indian government resiled from commitments to implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir which mandated a plebiscite to enable the Kashmiri people to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination.

“Since 5 August 2019, India has initiated unilateral illegal steps to impose what its leaders ominously call, a “Final Solution” for Jammu and Kashmir. Nine hundred thousand Indian troops terrorize the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, with draconian measures, including prolonged curfews, extra-judicial killings and the abduction of thousands of young Kashmiris.”