Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while representing Pakistan at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, emphasised that the unresolved Kashmir dispute poses a great threat to peace and stability in the region.
“Peace can never be established in South Asia unless the issue of Kashmir is resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions,” Qureshi asserted.
“It is India that in plain sight operates state terrorism in Jammu Kashmir,” he stressed adding that it is a matter of great concern that “humanity is being crushed and human rights are being violated all across India”.
Peace in the South Asian region directly relies on a justified settlement of Kashmir dispute in the light of UNSC resolutions and the will of the people of Kashmir, the minister maintained.
He said that India must “stop human rights violations in the occupied Kashmir and also stop ceasefire violations across the line of control”.
Pakistan wanted to engage with “all countries and neighbours on the basis of peace and equality”.
Briefing the audience about the long outstanding issues with India, Qureshi clarified that Pakistan wanted to “resolve outstanding issues with India through dialogue but the Indian government has wasted an opportunity for the third time — each time with flimsy excuses”.
The foreign minister warned that India will face a “severe reaction if it attempted any misadventure against Pakistan”.
“India has been sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan and Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was involved in planning and sponsoring terrorist activities in Pakistan on behalf of the Indian government,” Qureshi said, while briefing the world about direct Indian involvement in sponsoring terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
He continued to say Jadhav has provided Pakistani authorities with “the most incriminating evidence” and that he was “but one Indian state-sponsored terrorist (among many)”.
The foreign minister stressed that Pakistan wanted to engage with “all countries and neighbours on the basis of peace and equality”.
“Pakistan stands ready to strengthen its partnership with UN’s family of institutions,” he asserted.
Qureshi urged world to respect religious sentiments of Muslims. “Recently, Muslims across the world were pained at a planned competition of cartoons of our Holy Prophet (PBUH). This deeply hurt Muslim sentiments and sensibilities,” he said
Underscoring that there was a need now, more than ever, for all nations to be truly united he concluded by saying: “The Kashmiri boy losing his sight and future to a pellet gun, the Syrian dad seeing his child drown, the Palestinian girl suffocating under siege, the African migrant risking all for a better life, continue to look towards the UN for support. Let us not fail them any longer.”
The foreign minister addressed the audience in the national language, Urdu.
He is expected to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday.
