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New York, 24 September 2021
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a meeting with the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA), H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, at the United Nations headquarters in New York today.
The Foreign Minister congratulated the President of the General Assembly on his election and expressed the hope that his presence in this important office would help make progress on important issues on the agenda of the United Nations.
The Foreign Minister briefed the UN Secretary General on the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), and shared with him a comprehensive dossier containing evidence of gross, systematic, and widespread human rights violations, war crimes, crime against humanity and genocide being perpetrated by Indian occupation forces in the IIOJK.
He expressed the hope that the United Nations would play its role in ensuring that the Kashmiris exercise their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant UN resolutions.
On Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Qureshi underscored the need for urgent action to address the prevailing dire humanitarian situation in country, calling for the continued political and economic engagement of the international community to end decades-long conflict. He highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing efforts in addressing the humanitarian efforts as well as its efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Foreign Minister Qureshi called for making the UN Security Council more representative, democratic, transparent, effective and accountable to address the multiple challenges facing the world. He emphasized that the reform of the Council must be decided by consensus, and the Member states must be allowed the necessary time and space to evolve a solution acceptable to the entire UN membership.
He also called for stemming the rising tide of Islamophobia; ending vaccine inequity; and for ensuring adequate financing for developing countries to respond to the pandemic and the resulting economic crisis.