Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the acting prime minister of Pakistan, brought up the topic of Jammu and Kashmir in his address to the UN General Assembly on Friday, asserting that Kashmir is essential to achieving peace between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Speaking at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly’s 78th session, Kakar stated that Pakistan wants to have positive, peaceful relationships with all of its neighbours, including India.
“Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India,” he stated.
“Development depends on peace. Pakistan is situated in the least economically integrated region in the world. Pakistan believes that regions develop together therefore [the country] desires peaceful and productive relations with all neighbours, including India,” he added.
The UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), according to Kakar, has to be “reinforced” in order for the UN Security Council to ensure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir.
“Global powers should convince New Delhi to accept Pakistan’s offer of mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons,” he averred.
Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have always been and always will be an essential and inalienable part of India, according to New Delhi. In addition, India has urged Pakistan to focus on resolving its own internal problems rather than bringing up the Kashmir conflict and making baseless accusations against Delhi.
According to Kakar, Pakistan’s need for peace in Afghanistan is a strategic necessity.
“Pakistan shares the concerns of the international community with respect to Afghanistan particularly the rights of women and girls. Yet, we advocate continued humanitarian assistance to a destitute Afghan population in which Afghan girls and women are the most vulnerable; as well as revival of the Afghan economy and implementation of the connectivity projects with Central Asia,” he mentioned.
“Pakistan’s first priority is to prevent and counter all terrorism from and within Afghanistan. Pakistan condemns the cross-border terrorist attacks against Pakistan by the TTP, Daesh and other groups operating from Afghanistan. We have sought Kabul’s support and cooperation to prevent these attacks. However, we are also taking necessary measures to end this externally encouraged terrorism,” he added.
