PM Imran Khan highlights Indian atrocities in IOK during UNGA address

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday virtually addressed the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), ARY NEWS reported.

Prime Minister Imran Khan while highlighting grave human rights (HR) violations in the Indian occupied territory at the global platform said that durable peace could not be achieved in South Asia unless the Kashmir dispute is resolved.

“Security Council has reviewed the Kashmir issue thrice in the past one year,” he said and urged the international community to probe the serious violations committed by the Indian authorities.

Imran Khan said that excess security personnel was deployed in the territory to control eight million Kashmiris besides killing several of them extra-judicially in fake encounters.

He said that Pakistan supports the right of self-determination of Kashmiris and considered it their just right.

“Pakistan has always called for a peaceful solution. To this end, India must rescind the measures it has instituted since 5 August 2019, end its military siege and other gross human rights violations, and agree to resolve the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and of course the wishes of the people of Kashmir.”

He further warned of a befitting response from the nation in case of any Indian aggression.

Coronavirus

“Coronavirus pandemic has led the world towards uniting against the pandemic, further showing that a disaster would affect everyone equally,” the prime minister said adding that no one is safe in the globe unless everyone is safe from it.

The prime minister shared the measures taken by the country to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and said that they did not impose strict restrictions on movement and rather opted for a smart lockdown, providing relief to the small businesses.

“Through these measures, Pakistan not only successfully tackled with the pandemic but also stabilized its economy.”

He also stressed upon the need to provide relief in debts to the developing countries during the pandemic and said that that it was need of the hour. “The relief in debt payments by December should be extended beyond,” Imran Khan said.

He further lamented that international agreements are being violated and military power is being used to suppress the right of self-determination.

He said that the developed countries could not talk of human rights while safeguarding the money launderers.

Afghan Peace Process

The prime minister said Pakistan’s desire for peace in the region is also manifest in the efforts to promote a political solution in Afghanistan.

“I have consistently maintained over the past two decades that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. The only way forward was and is a political settlement that involves the full spectrum of Afghanistan’s political actors.”

He said that Pakistan fully facilitated the process that culminated in the U.S.-Taliban Peace Agreement on 29 February 2020.

“The Afghan leaders must now seize this historic opportunity to achieve reconciliation and restore peace in their war-torn country,” he said adding that they must work out an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.

He said that the process must be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, and without any interference or outside influence.

Palestine Issue 

The prime minister said Pakistan continues to support a two-state solution – in line with the UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, within the internationally agreed parameters, and they are ; pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the Capital of a united, contiguous, and independent Palestinian state.