UNITED NATIONS: Prime Minister of Pakistan delivered a hard-hitting speech at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, urging world leaders to abandon “provocative politics” in favour of “proactive and composite dialogue”, particularly in South Asia.
Opening his address by congratulating the new UNGA president, the premier lamented that multilateralism was “no longer optional, but essential” in the face of escalating global conflicts, climate disasters and rising disinformation.
Recounting recent hostilities with India, he declared that Pakistan “acted in self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter” when confronted by “unprovoked aggression from the eastern front” earlier this year.
“The enemy came shrouded in arrogance; we sent them back in humiliation,” he said, lauding the armed forces for what he termed a “decisive response”. He paid tribute to fallen soldiers and said “the nation stood as one unbreakable wall”.
Despite claiming battlefield advantage, he maintained that Pakistan accepted a ceasefire “from a position of strength”, crediting former US president Donald Trump’s “bold intervention” for averting a wider war. He also thanked China, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Iran, the UAE and the UN secretary-general for their diplomatic support.
Declaring that “we have won the war, now we seek to win peace”, the prime minister announced Pakistan’s readiness for “composite and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues”, warning that any attempt to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty would be treated as “an act of war”.
Turning to Kashmir, he asked the international community: “Do the Kashmiris have no human rights?” He vowed unwavering political and moral support for their right to self-determination.
The premier also delivered an emotional appeal over Gaza, invoking the case of six-year-old Hind Rajab, whose desperate final phone call became a symbol of Israel’s ongoing bombardment.
“We failed Hind Rajab,” he said. “The smallest coffins are the heaviest to carry.” He called for an immediate ceasefire and reiterated Pakistan’s support for a sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
He condemned “externally sponsored terrorism” from groups operating out of Afghan soil, including the TTP and BLA, while stressing that Afghanistan must prevent its soil from being used for cross-border militancy.
Calling for urgent global climate action, he reminded the world that Pakistan—responsible for less than one per cent of emissions—had suffered catastrophic floods twice in three years. He urged wealthy nations to honour climate finance commitments.
Highlighting domestic economic reforms, he said Pakistan was embracing “digitisation, AI and crypto”, expanding clean energy and deepening strategic partnerships under CPEC.
In closing, he called for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, rejecting any expansion of permanent membership.
“Let this 80th anniversary not simply commemorate history,” he said. “Let us make history — better together.”
