ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir on Thursday held a meeting and discussed matters of international and regional importance, including the Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.
The FM welcomed the UNGA president at the ministry of foreign affairs, who had arrived in the capital on Wednesday on a three-day visit.
Qureshi appreciated the efforts of the UNGA president to convene an emergency session of the UNGA on Palestine.
He said ceasefire was the first step towards stopping the Israeli atrocities, however, added the only just solution to resolve the issues of Palestinian and Kashmir was implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions.
Qureshi said establishing of peace in the Middle East without resolving the Palestinian issue on a permanent basis was not possible.
Similarly, he said, without resolving the Kashmir issue, there can be no peace in South Asia.
He said Pakistan wanted peace in Afghanistan and intended to continue playing a conciliatory role in the Afghan peace process.
The FM appreciated the initiative of the UNGA president, ‘Vaccine for All’, to overcome coronavirus pandemic challenge and said for its complete eradication, it was necessary to make everyone safe.
According to FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, Bozkir reiterated the “UN position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is governed by the UN Charter and relevant UNSC resolutions, calling for a ‘free and impartial’ plebiscite under the UN auspices.”
The UNGA president also visited the National Defence University and gave a speech on the importance of multilateralism during a joint press conference with FM Qureshi.
Speaking at the university in Islamabad, the FM said, “There are similarities between the Palestinian situation and that of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“The oppressed people in both the territories, being faced with the worst form of human rights violations, are demanding their right to self-determination,” he added
The FM categorically stated that the India Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir dispute is a reality and nobody can remove it from the agenda of the UNSC.
“Pakistan expects the UN to continue to play its leadership role for the revival of the peace process in the Middle East,” the foreign minister added.
“The fire can be extinguished through dialogue and a two-state solution in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.”
FM Qureshi maintained that timely humanitarian assistance should also be provided to the Palestinians affected by Israeli aggression.
Bozkir shed light on various issues, including Palestine, the Kashmir Issue, and the coronavirus pandemic.
“Inaction on the issue of Palestine, which is a grave matter, is damaging the credibility of the United Nations and the Security Council,” Bozkir said, adding that it is hoped that the Security Council will also hear a unanimous vote on this important and necessary issue.
“Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in blatant human rights abuses,” Bozkir said. “Negotiations are urgently needed to establish two independent states. The UNGA will not sit idly until peace is restored in the Middle East,” he said.
Regarding Kashmir, Bozkir said, “I have always urged the parties to refrain from changing the status of the disputed territory. I urge India and Pakistan to work for a peaceful solution to this problem”.
He added that peace, stability and prosperity hinge on the normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India through the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Bozkir commended the government’s measures for social support during the Covid-19 pandemic and its strategy to tackle the pandemic, saying they had produced positive results.
He said the disbursement of emergency cash assistance prior to and during the pandemic to the most vulnerable citizens demonstrated how “developing countries can leapfrog into the digital era to support financial inclusion”.
The UNGA president also commended Prime Minister Imran Khan for highlighting the importance of illicit financial flows and praised the “professionalism and dedication” of the Pakistani military and law enforcement agencies serving in the UN’s peacekeeping operations.
Bozkir had reached Pakistan on a three-day visit on the invitation of Qureshi after concluding his visit to Bangladesh.
“After an important and fruitful official visit to Bangladesh, I arrived in Islamabad for my official visit to Pakistan,” Bozkir had said. “I look forward to my important meetings in Islamabad.”
Bozkir is the first Turkish national to preside over the UNGA. He is a former diplomat and a senior politician.
Following his 39-year-long diplomatic career in the Turkish foreign service, Bozkir was elected thrice as a member of the Turkish parliament and has served as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee and minister for European Union Affairs.
