NEW YORK: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with the UN Secretary General António Guterres at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
During the meeting, the foreign minister expressed deep concern over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories caused by Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, resulting in over 250 deaths including dozens of women and children.
The foreign minister underscored that his visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session on Palestine was an expression of Pakistan’s firm and unwavering support to the legitimate cause of the Palestinian people for their right to self-determination.
Good meeting with @antonioguterres. Shared our deep concern for the people of #Palestine and Pakistan’s unwavering support for their right to self determination. While ceasefire is welcomed, Israel’s occupation of Palestine must end. pic.twitter.com/AyGDAo5gRi
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) May 21, 2021
Urged UN Secretary General to use his good offices and mediation to resolve the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, including by calling on India to rescind its illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 & to allow Kashmiris to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination. https://t.co/iCi3itqrRY
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) May 21, 2021
Welcoming the recent ceasefire announcement, the UN secretary general expressed the hope that this could help revive efforts for a negotiated settlement of the Palestinian issue.
The foreign minister also briefed the UN secretary general on the serious human rights and humanitarian situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) including continued illegal incarceration of the Kashmiri political leaders and extra-judicial killings.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the re-initiation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding between Pakistan and India along the Line of Control (LOC) was a welcome step. Pakistan desired normal relations with India.
However, the onus was on India to take steps to create an enabling environment for a meaningful engagement.
Qureshi urged the UN secretary general to use his good offices to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with the UN Charter and the relevant Security Council Resolutions.
The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi highlighted Pakistan’s constructive efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process, and expressed the hope that the Afghan parties would seize the opportunity and reach an inclusive, politically-negotiated settlement, resulting in lasting peace and security in Afghanistan.
Expressing deep concern at the rising tide of intolerance, discrimination, violence and Islamophobia against Muslims, he urged the need for the relevant UN bodies to address this challenge, as well as take effective measures against the threat posed by violent nationalist, supremacist, far right and extreme-right wing terrorist groups and ideologies.
The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is visiting New York to attend the UN General Assembly Session on Palestine as part of Pakistan’s extensive diplomatic outreach to mobilize international support for the Palestinians.
