UNGA President urges Pakistan to work vigorously to raise Kashmir issue in UN

President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir Thursday said the status of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute must not be changed unless resolved as per the resolutions of UN Security Council, reported 24NewsHD TV Channel.

Addressing at a joint media conference with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the UNGA president said the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir lay with the implementation of the UN Charter and through peaceful means as decided between Pakistan and India under Simla Agreement.

He said that it was Pakistan's duty to bring the issue of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to the United Nations platform with more vigour.

The UNGA president lamented what he said was a lack of large political will for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute compared to the Palestinian issue which had more will behind it.

"I think it is the duty, especially Pakistan's, to bring this [issue] to the United Nation platform more strongly," said Bozkir, adding that he agreed that the Palestinian issue and the Kashmir issue were of the same age.

The UNGA president urged the parties on both sides to “refrain from changing the status of the dispute” otherwise. He said the Palestine issue worldwide had received more political win than the J&K dispute and suggested Pakistan to bring the issue of the latter to the UN platform “more strongly”.

Volkan Bozkir, who arrived in Pakistan Wednesday on a three-day visit, focused his press conference on the issues of Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir, Afghanistan, and the role of the UN in handling the conflicts.

On Palestine, Bozkir said, “We have captured the momentum and the eye of the storm. When the political structure is ready for something, nothing will stop it.”

He lauded Foreign Minister Qureshi for “representing Pakistan in a good way” to highlight the Palestine issue internationally joined by his other counterparts. “[I] am witnessed that in last UN meeting on Palestine, your leadership was very important that moved towards success,” he said.

As president of UNGA, he said, it was his duty to remain impartial, however said that “impartiality could be defined” in other words.

“For a case like Palestine, I think that helping people and giving them a just solution to their problem is impartiality,” he said. Also, the goal of ending the occupation and achieving two independent viable states side by sides in mutual recognition to the pre-1969 settlement is important, he added.

The UNGA president said Pakistan along with Turkey was playing an important role in the resumption of peace in Afghanistan, which he said, could have its effects on an international and regional basis.

He termed Pakistan his “second home” and added that the love between Pakistan and Turkey was not due to any financial reasons, but a connection of hearts.

He drew attention towards wearing a green face mask and necktie, as a gesture to honour Pakistan’s national colour and flag. He mentioned the charisma of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the support he gained at the international fora, which he said was important for Pakistan.

Bozkir also appreciated PM Khan’s tree plantation campaigns and the ambitious 10 billion tree project. On the ongoing UN Security Council reforms, he stressed a balance among the UNGA, UNSC and the Secretary General.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a meeting with President Volkan Bozkir, he briefed about the dire situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and drew his attention to the similarity of Palestine and J&K disputes.

“Both Palestinians and Kashmiri demand self-determination and protection from demographic destruction and violation of human rights. The UN must play its role in honour of its own pledges,” he said.

He said the Kashmir dispute was a reality, which could not be ignored or erased from the UN agenda. He warned that the same simmering situation of Palestine and Kashmir could blow into a fireball in the Middle East and South Asia.

To a question regarding Pakistan’s position on the stance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said at the very important meeting of the Human Rights Council taking place in Geneva, Pakistan’s ambassador Khalil Hashmi would move a resolution on Israel’s war crimes and genocide.

He expressed confidence that the western societies that believed in human rights would actually take concrete steps to draw the attention of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on human rights violations and war crimes taking place in Gaza and Western Bank, where the holy site of three religions – Islam, Judaism and Christianity, was situated.

Qureshi said on Palestine, the “first milestone” had been achieved, adding that “as a Muslim Ummah, we look towards the revival of the peace process as the fire was not fully extinguished.”

He said dialogue, peaceful co-existence and a two-State solution in accordance with the UN resolutions was the only sustainable solution.

Earlier, Foreign Minister held a meeting with the UNGA President. The interaction included a tête-à-tête, followed by delegation-level talks and a Joint Press Stakeout. The Foreign Minister also hosted a lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary which was attended by Ministers and members of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee.

Federal Minister for Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam, Chairman of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Malik Ehsanullah Tiwana, State Minister for Information Farrukh Habib, Parliamentary Secretary on Foreign Affairs Andaleeb Abbas, Parliamentary Secretary Finance Makhdoomzada Zain Qureshi, Parliamentary Secretary on Law Maleeka Bukhari, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar and members of parliament attended the luncheon.

The Foreign Minister discussed a wide range of political and socio-economic issues on the UN agenda with the PGA, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the situation in Palestine, the Afghan peace process, reform of the UN Security Council, equitable access to COVID-19 Vaccines, and Financing for Sustainable Development.

The Foreign Minister apprised Bozkir about the grave human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The Foreign Minister stressed that India’s systematic efforts to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory were in contravention of international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention. The Foreign Minister called for a just and peaceful solution to Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Condemning the Israeli atrocities in Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Foreign Minister commended the role of Bozkir in organizing a special meeting of the UN General Assembly last week. He emphasized that the international community must fulfil its responsibility in protecting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and take steps to facilitate a just, comprehensive and lasting solution in line with the UN resolutions envisaging the establishment of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian state, with pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.