Pakistan, 2025

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Muhammad Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. Thank you, Your Excellency, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shibaz Sharif, I wish to congratulate Her Excellency Annalena Barbour on assuming the presidency of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. I also comment Secretary General Antonio Guterres for his bold leadership of the United Nations in testing times. Ladies and gentlemen, our world is more complex today than ever before. Conflicts are intensifying, international law is being brazenly violated, humanitarian crises are multiplying, terrorism remains a potent threat, disinformation and fake news undermine trust, climate change threatens our very survival and more so countries like Pakistan. Today multilateralism is no more an option, it is need of the hour. Excellencies, Pakistan's foreign policy guided by the vision of Qaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah is based on peace, mutual respect and cooperation. We believe in the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. Last year, from this very podium, I had warned that Pakistan would act and act most decisively against any external aggression. Those words of mine proved true. I hope it didn't, but then that is destiny. When in May this year, my country confronted unprovoked aggression from our eastern front, the enemy came shrouded in arrogance. We sent them back in humiliation, delivering our bloody nose. Excellencies, India sought to extract political gains from a human tragedy by spurning my sincere offer of an independent international investigation into the Pahelgam incident. Instead, it attacked our cities and targeted our innocent civilians. When our territorial integrity and national security were violated, our response was in accordance with the right of self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. Our valiant armed forces, under the stellar leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, mounted an operation of stunning professionalism, bravery and acumen. Repulsing the enemy's attack under Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Babar Sidhu, our Falcons took flight and etched their answer across the skies, resulting in seven of the Indian jets turned to scrap and dust. A decisive response to the aggressor that will echo through the annals of history. To the fearless architects of this victory, to every officer and soldier, heirs of our martyrs, their names are forever engraved in glory. To the mothers of our martyrs, their courage guides our path forward and their sacrifice shall never be in vain, God willing. And to every Pakistani, you stood as one unbreakable wall of Bunyan-Marsus. Excellencies, though in a position of strength, Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire facilitated by President Donald Trump's bold and visionary leadership. We express our deep appreciation to him and his team for their active role in bringing about the ceasefire. President Trump's efforts for peace helped avert a more threatening war in South Asia. Had he not intervened timely and decisively, the consequences of a full-fledged war would have been catastrophic. Who would have lived to tell what happened? And therefore, in recognition of President Trump's wonderful and outstanding contribution to promote peace in our part of the world, Pakistan nominated him for Nobel Peace Prize. And I think this is the least we could do for his love for peace. And I think truly he is a man of peace. Ladies and gentlemen, we are also grateful to our friends and partners including China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Iran, UAE, and of course UN Secretary General for extending their diplomatic support to Pakistan at this crucial time. Excellencies, we have won the war. And now we seek to win peace in our part of the world. And this is my most sincere and serious offer before this August Assembly of the World Nations. Pakistan stands ready for a composite, comprehensive, and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues. South Asia requires, ladies and gentlemen, proactive rather than provocative leadership. India's unilateral and illegal attempt to hold the Indus water treaty in abeyance defies the provisions of the treaty itself as well as the norms of international law. Pakistan has made it abundantly clear. And let there be no doubt, once again, in anybody's mind, as I said last year in this hall, from this podium, we will definitely and ardently defend, inshallah, the inseparable right of our 240 million people on these waters. To us, any violation of this Indus treaty represents an act of war. Ladies and gentlemen, through this August House, I wish to assure the Kashmiri people that I stand with them. The people of Pakistan stand with them. And one day soon, inshallah, India's tyranny in Kashmir will come to a grinding halt. Kashmir will gain its fundamental right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite under the auspices of this very organization, United Nations. Excellencies, the plight of the Palestinian people is one of the most heart-wrenching tragedies of our times. This prolonged injustice is a stain on the global conscience and our collective moral failure. For nearly 80 years, the Palestinians have courageously endured Israel's brutal occupation of their homeland. In the West Bank, each passing day brings new brutality. Illegal settlers who terrorize and kill with impunity, and nobody can challenge them and question them. And in Gaza, Israel's genocidal onslaught has unleashed unspeakable terror upon women and children in a manner we have not witnessed in annals of history. In blind pursuit of its nefarious goals, the Israeli leadership has unleashed a shameful campaign against the innocent Palestinians, which history will always remember as one of its darkest chapters. But speak we must, Madam President, we must speak, and speak loud and clear. Our words are too little, too late for Hind Rajab, a child, nay, a little baby we have all heard her trembling voice on that phone call which little Hind made as she struggled to stay alive under Israeli onslaught and atrocities. Can you imagine that little girl, Hind Rajab, as if she was our daughter? Can you imagine not having the compassion to spare her life? My agony and the agony of the entire Muslim Ummah, indeed, I think, the agony of all the nations on the planet is that we failed Hind Rajab and she will not forgive us in this world and the world hereafter. As they say, ladies and gentlemen, the smallest coffins are the heaviest to carry. I, for one, would know, for I too carried the tiny coffin of a seven-year-old Irza Abbas during the recent confrontation with India. He was only six years old. Therefore, we cannot and we must not fail these children of Gaza or any child anywhere in the world. We must find a path to a ceasefire now and just now. Pakistan firmly supports... Ladies and gentlemen, Pakistan firmly supports the demand of the Palestinian people for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and al-Quds Sharif as its capital. Palestine can no longer remain under Israeli shackles. It must be liberated and liberated with full commitment and with full force. Excellencies, as far as Pakistan is concerned, we were among the first to recognize Palestinian statehood in 1988. And now we welcome the recognition of the state of Palestine by a number of countries recently around the globe and urge others to also follow suit because time and tide wait for none. We are further grateful for President Trump's timely initiative to invite Arab Islamic states three days ago here in this building for a consultative session at the United Nations. And I was also part of that consultative process. And I think and I hope and pray to God that it has rekindled hope for a ceasefire in the nearest future for which the credit must again be attributed to President Trump for this peace initiative. Excellencies, Israel's recent attack on Doha and its continued violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of numerous countries is reflective of its rogue behavior. Pakistan stands unwaveringly with our brothers and sisters in Qatar. We also support all efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict in line with the UN Charter to end human sufferings and global turmoil caused by this protected war. Madam President, Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. For over two decades, Pakistan has been at the front line of global counter-terrorism efforts having suffered over 90,000 people. We lost 90,000 people of our country. Babies, children, mothers, sisters, brothers, elderly people, doctors, engineers and also suffered economic loss of $150 billion. Please tell me, put your hand on your heart that what can be a bigger manifestation of our commitment to fight terrorism and erase it not only from the face of Pakistan but from the face of this global world. And I believe a man killed in New York is a man killed in Lahore. A man killed in Islamabad is a man killed in London. It's a global village. So I think unless terrorism is defeated hands down, this world will not be a peaceful place to live. And for that, Pakistan's sacrifices are probably the biggest around the globe. It must be respected and appreciated because we are a bulwark. Had these terrorists not been encountered by us, they would have been roaming on the streets of New York and London and God knows Far East. So I think this is our humble contribution not only for the people of Pakistan but the people all over the world. Today we face externally sponsored terrorism, particularly from foreign funded groups such as the TTP, Fitna Khawarij, Fitna Hindustan, BLA and its Majeed Brigade. Operating from Afghan soil, these groups are responsible for some of the most heinous attacks inside Pakistan including the dastardly Jaffar Express train incident earlier this year. The train was hijacked and 400 people were kept for days and weeks. And mercifully, by Allah Almighty's grace, our armed forces and law enforcing agencies were able to recover them. Now as an immediate neighbor and a brotherly country of Afghanistan, Pakistan has a direct stake in a peaceful Afghanistan. We believe that the key to development and prosperity lies in regional stability and connectivity. Pakistan continues to engage with all partners to extend humanitarian assistance, promote economic recovery and encourage inclusive political framework in Afghanistan. The interim Afghan government must, however, uphold human rights including women's rights. Above all, we expect that the Afghan interim government to take effective action against terrorist groups and to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against any country. Ladies and gentlemen, there must be no space for hate speech, discrimination or violence against any person or against any religion. Hate driven ideologies such as India's Hindutva driven extremism pose a danger to the entire world. While there is growing recognition of the dangers posed by Islamophobia, the imperative of effectively combating this menace can hardly be overemphasized. Pakistan welcomes the appointment of a UN special envoy to combat this scourge. Ladies and gentlemen, while we are confronted with the climate crisis, it demands the most urgent collective action. In 2022, Pakistan faced massive floods of humongous proportions that caused huge losses amounting to $34 billion and many valuable lives lost. This year again, we are dealing with another mega flood with thousands of villages washed away from the face of the earth, millions of people displaced, more than a thousand killed and billions of dollars of crop, livestock and property washed away, lost to flood waters. Our nation stands united in these testing times and we are dealing with this natural calamity with remarkable resilience by the grace of God. I have declared a climate emergency to cope with this challenge. The catastrophic floods of 2022 and 2025 this year are glaring examples of loss and damage caused due to climate change. Pakistan, to the contrary, my honorable guests in this hall and through the cameras around the globe, Pakistan contributes less than 1% of global emissions annually yet it continues to face the relentless brunt and muddy waves of climate change. And then we are told to borrow loans and add on to our huge debt pillars we have over the period of time. This is not fairness, this is not equality, this is not justice, this is not fair play. How can you expect a country which is a developing country facing humongous flood challenges every year due to climate change and no fault of ours and yet we are told to borrow more loans? I think borrowing loans would be destroying your economy. We will be better off than not borrowing loans and standing on our own feet, working hard tirelessly, blood and sweat, and we will inshallah make Pakistan a great country inshallah. Ladies and gentlemen, while we deal with climate change, I bear good tidings on the domestic economic front. Social economic development and the welfare of our people are among my government's foremost priorities. We have successfully implemented deep-rooted structural macroeconomic reforms, modernized and broadened our taxation system, intensified efforts to mobilize productive investment, and embraced digitization, AI, and crypto as the tools of the future. Strategic partnerships, including our all-weather cooperation with China through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under President Xi Jinping's landmark Belt and Road Initiative are contributors to our progress as I speak. I admire the vision and foresight of President Xi Jinping, whose recently launched Global Governance Initiative along with other global initiatives offers a comprehensive framework for a more just, fair, and inclusive development. Excellencies, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Pakistan is playing its constructive role in conflict prevention. The unanimous adoption of Resolution 2788 under our Presidency of the Council has renewed our collective commitment to multilateralism, respect for the UN Charter, and effective implementation of UN Security Council resolutions. Excellencies, at the end, let me assure you that Pakistan will always stand for peace, justice, and development, for a revitalized United Nations, and for cooperative and multilateralism that is fair and inclusive and delivers for all. Therefore, let this 80th anniversary not simply commemorate history, let us make history and chart a future for the next 80 years with these United Nations as enduring hope for global good. Let us truly strive to become better together. Thank you very much. United Nations, long live. God bless you. On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.