Pakistan, 2007

I would like first to

congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to

your prestigious office. Your vast political experience

and diplomatic skills will undoubtedly guide the

General Assembly towards success in dealing with its

important agenda. I wish to express our deep

satisfaction and pride at the significant achievements

of your predecessor, Her Excellency Sheikha Haya

Rashed Al-Khalifa, during her presidency. Her stature

and accomplishments symbolize the prominent role

that women are playing in the Muslim world.

Let me also express our high appreciation to

Mr. Ban Ki-moon for the distinctive and assiduous

manner in which, as our new Secretary-General, he has

engaged himself to address crises and humanitarian

situations. We support the Secretary-General’s

commitment to improving the United Nations so that it

can respond to contemporary challenges and

opportunities.

The end of the cold war at the dawn of the

twenty-first century gave rise to hopes for a better

future. A decade later, the world is in the grip of

deepening uncertainty and rising turbulence. There are

new threats of terrorism, violence and widening

divisions among cultures and societies, driven by

suspicion and prejudice. At the heart of that growing

malaise is not a clash of values or civilizations; it is the

failure of the international community to address

festering disputes and our collective inability to

universalize the opportunities and benefits offered by

the phenomenal advances of technology and

globalization for the betterment of all peoples.

Conflicts continue in Palestine, Iraq and

Afghanistan. In South Asia, the Kashmir dispute is yet

to be resolved. Old disputes are compounded by new

confrontations. Also, serious challenges are emerging

in the shape of climate change, energy security, and

financial and trade imbalances.

In this complex world, the United Nations

provides a critical and indispensable role. The United

Nations is at the apex of expanding international

interaction and remains the only acknowledged

instrument for regulating global affairs on the basis of

agreed principles and norms.

Terrorism is a grave and pervasive threat.

Terrorism destabilizes societies. It must not be

associated with any faith or culture. It must be

countered and rejected, addressing both its

manifestations and its root causes.

Equally disturbing are trends to malign other

cultures and faiths and reinforce divisions, especially

between the West and the Islamic world. Tolerating

Islamophobia in the guise of freedom of expression is

dangerous. More than ever before, in this globalized

world we need understanding, harmony and the

building of bridges among all cultures and peoples

through such initiatives as the Alliance of

Civilizations, interfaith dialogue and enlightened

moderation.

Conflict and violence in the Middle East are

fundamentally linked to the Palestinian issue that has

agitated two generations of Palestinians and Muslims

around the world. Essentially, Palestine is an issue of

freedom. Security cannot be ensured by denying the

Palestinians their freedom. Salvation lies in what the

Arab nations proposed in Beirut five years ago.

Pakistan supports that position. The world has a

historical responsibility to end the tragedy of the

Palestinian people by enabling them to establish their

own State in Palestine, consistent with Security

Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the

Arab peace plan. Israel must also withdraw from the

other occupied Arab territories and fully respect the

territorial and sovereign integrity of Lebanon. Efforts

that deflect from those basic imperatives will only

prolong agony and turmoil in the region.

Pakistan is deeply concerned over the grave

situation in Iraq. We deplore the internecine bloodshed.

Peace in Iraq can emerge only through dialogue,

mutual cooperation and tolerance. It is vital both for

the Iraqi people and for the region to ensure the

preservation of the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq

and full respect for its sovereignty.

Pakistan is also disturbed by the ominous

confrontation over Iran’s nuclear issue. We have

insisted on recourse to diplomacy because resort to the

use of force could lead to incalculable consequences

for that already inflamed and highly sensitive region.

In our region, violence and the rise of terrorism

and extremism are due to the developments of the

nearly three decades when neighbouring Afghanistan

became the last front of the cold war. Ironically, in the

1980s the struggle in Afghanistan helped the

consolidation of freedom movements that culminated

in the surge of freedom signified by the fall of the

Berlin wall. In the 1990s, however, Afghanistan

suffered international neglect and indifference until the

shock and horror of 9/11 refocused international

attention on that war-ravaged country.

The unfortunate happenings in our

neighbourhood impacted on our own society, giving

rise to terrorism and extremism, especially in the tribal

regions bordering Afghanistan. We are fighting

Al-Qaida and other terrorist elements with resolve and

determination. We have deployed nearly 100,000

troops for that purpose. A large number of our troops

have sacrificed their lives. In the tribal regions, we

have taken political and administrative measures and

have plans to bring about socio-economic

transformation. As part of a comprehensive strategy,

we have introduced reforms to counter extremism.

We are cooperating internationally and reject

irresponsible comments and insinuations, especially in

certain sections of the international media, casting

aspersions on our intentions and efforts. It must be

appreciated that the challenge is enormous and requires

a sustained and protracted endeavour both locally and

at the international level.

Pakistan desires a peaceful environment in the

region. No country stands to gain as much as Pakistan

from peace and stability in Afghanistan. We therefore

support every initiative that could help the Afghans to

achieve national reconciliation and to rebuild their

country. The recently convened Grand Jirga in Kabul

offers hope. A great deal will depend on the

effectiveness of the follow-up mechanisms, especially

the 50-member joint council that is mandated to reach

out to the opposition to promote peace in the area. The

international community also has an important

responsibility to help Afghanistan with a Marshall

Plan-like programme for reconstruction.

Pakistan is engaged in a peace process with India

that has led to significant improvement in bilateral

relations. The two countries must now seize the

opportunity provided by the propitious international

and regional environment to address problems,

especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has

been at the heart of conflict and tension in South Asia.

Both sides will have to demonstrate political will,

courage and flexibility. We are pursuing a solution that

would be acceptable to India, to Pakistan and, above

all, to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

President Pervez Musharraf has offered important

ideas that have resonated with the Kashmiri people,

who must be involved in the process. At the same time,

it is essential to create an environment free of human

rights violations in Kashmir if there is to be a

sustainable peaceful solution. A peaceful settlement

responding to the aspirations of the Kashmiri people

will usher in a new era of mutual trust and cooperation

in South Asia.

In our region, the incipient United States-India

nuclear deal injects a new element. We have concerns

over strategic stability, which we will maintain despite

our firm opposition to an arms race in South Asia.

Moreover, we also have a strong interest in developing

civil nuclear power generation under international

safeguards. Our nuclear and strategic assets are solely

for defensive purpose. We started pursuing the nuclear

option only after 1974, when the strategic balance was

disrupted by the first Indian nuclear test. Our initiatives

to keep South Asia free of nuclear weapons received

scant response internationally. In 1998, we were again

faced with a dilemma and had to respond to the Indian

tests to establish deterrence. Our failure to do so would

have created a dangerous ambiguity about our

capability, with the risk of miscalculation.

I wish to reaffirm that our strategic capability is

solely for deterrence and defence. We are opposed to

an arms race and want to maintain minimum credible

deterrence. We will not be the first to test in our region.

We will never use our nuclear capability against

non-nuclear weapon States. We remain fully committed

to the objective of general and complete disarmament

and nuclear non-proliferation. We want to be treated as

a partner rather than as a target of the global nuclear

non-proliferation regime. We are committed to

developing nuclear power generation under

international safeguards to meet our growing energy

needs.

It is evident that global consensus on

disarmament and non-proliferation has been seriously

eroded. There are several reasons for that, including

the disavowal of nuclear disarmament by the nuclear-

weapon States signatories to the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT); the

emergence of de facto nuclear-weapon States not

parties to the NPT; the failure to address the security

concerns of non-nuclear-weapon States; and

discrimination in the conduct of peaceful nuclear

cooperation. There is an obvious need for a new and

universal consensus on non-proliferation, disarmament

and peaceful nuclear cooperation that eliminates

dangers and risks and establishes cooperation on an

equitable basis. In the coming months, the Nuclear

Suppliers Group States have a heavy responsibility, as

any endorsement of a selective or discriminatory

approach could fatefully damage the existing

consensus on disarmament and non-proliferation.

The world is slowly recognizing the existential

threat posed by climate change. The special event held

on 24 September has been useful in crystallizing the

issues that must be addressed. Environment is a

responsibility and an opportunity. The responsibility is

to heal the Earth, which is scarred and degraded. The

challenge goes far beyond Kyoto. Collectively, we

need to restrain our avaricious and extravagant living.

Opportunity lies in developing the environment as an

employment sector to absorb a part of world human

resources in meaningful activity. We must realize that

with technological advances it will no longer be

feasible to rationally utilize the entire global work

force in the production, manufacturing and service

sectors.

Against the backdrop of the new challenges, large

parts of humanity continue to suffer from hunger,

poverty and disease. That is tragic in these modern

times, where the miracle of technology has empowered

the world to effectively overcome the vestiges of our

primitive existence. The Group of 77 has therefore

insisted on a broad endeavour for sustainable

development based on economic growth, social

development and environmental protection. We should

adopt coherent and mutually reinforcing policies and

actions to advance in those three directions with the

same degree of political and legal commitment. The

United Nations has a central role in the realization of

the Millennium Development Goals and other

internationally agreed development goals.

Pakistan, as the current Chair of the Group of 77

and China, has suggested steps to enable developing

countries to coordinate and enlarge their national

development cooperation effort. In accordance with the

mandate adopted at the Second South Summit, we will

convene a panel of eminent experts of the South to

further develop common positions for developing

countries in critical areas like trade finance,

technology, energy and climate change.

Pakistan agrees that the management and

Secretariat of the United Nations should be reformed

and modernized, especially to improve the coherence

and effectiveness of the system. Prime Minister

Shaukat Aziz is the Co-Chair of the Secretary-

General’s High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence.

The reform process must, however, remain sensitive to

the fundamental principle of the sovereign equality of

States in the decision-making process. That applies

especially to the issue of the expansion of the Security

Council. Security Council reform must enlarge the

representation of all Member States rather than expand

the circle of the privileged. The Security Council

functions must also be developed in a manner so that

these do not eclipse the Charter responsibilities of the

General Assembly or those of the other principal

organs of the United Nations.

In Pakistan, our aspirations are the same as

elsewhere: to accelerate our socio-economic

development, to build a knowledge-based society and

to contribute to peace and development in the world

consistent with the deeply held values of our faith and

our vision for a modern progressive Islamic state. That

has been the orientation of the Government of

President Musharraf for setting priorities and

introducing reform programmes. There have been

significant accomplishments in strengthening

institutions, promoting democratic polity and building

a sound economy.

To give a few examples, today we have robust

grass-roots level democratic institutions with

mandatory one-third representation by women. Our

minorities have been integrated into the political

mainstream. Our media is free, vibrant and assertive.

Our economy has seen stable growth over the past

eight years, and in that period, Pakistan’s national

output and per capita income has doubled. We are now

preparing for elections, as our elected national and

provincial assemblies will soon complete their full

term of office. As we enter this important phase in our

political life, we do so with the deep awareness that a

strong and stable Pakistan is pivotal for the peace and

progress of our region.