Prime Minister Pakistan Nawaz Sharif departed for New York to attend the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Report by: Asghar Ali Mubarak

Prime Minister Pakistan Nawaz Sharif departed for New York to attend the 71st  Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Report by: Asghar Ali Mubarak

Islamabad- The Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif departed for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York starting from 19^th September 2016.During his address to the UN on 21st September 2016 Wednesday, the premier will emphatically highlight the issue of Kashmir and the recent wave of atrocities unleashed by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir. An official statement on the PM’s engagements at the UNGA session said P.M .Nawaz will make a policy statement in the UNGA general debate on September 21 to enunciate Pakistan’s position, role and contribution on key international issues ranging from peace and security to development, and highlight the vision and priorities of the government. Prime Minister Pakistan Nawaz Sharif will also participate in a high-level meeting of the General Assembly to address Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants and the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees.According to sources, the Prime Minister Pakistan Nawaz Sharif will urge the international community to devote adequate political attention and support for the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and their sustainable reintegration in Afghanistan.On the sidelines of the UNGA session, the Prime Minister Pakistan Nawaz Sharif will hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders, including the UN Secretary General, there will also be meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister of  Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is leading the  Pakistan delegation to the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York from 19 September 2016.The Annual Session of the General Assembly has special significance as it is attended by a large number of Heads of State and Government. The Prime Minister will make a policy statement in the UNGA General Debate on 21 September to enunciate Pakistan’s position, role and contribution on key international issues ranging from peace and security to development, and highlight the vision and priorities of the Government. The Prime Minister will specifically focus on the current situation particularly the continuing grave violations of human rights by the Indian occupation forces in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He will call upon the international community and the United Nations to live up to their promise of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The Prime Minister will also participate in the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly to address Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants (19 September) and the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees convened by President Obama (20 September). Pakistan will avail of these high level meetings to highlight its tremendous contribution to the cause of refugees as the host of the world’s largest protracted refugee situation, and urge the international community to devote adequate political attention and support for the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and their sustainable reintegration in Afghanistan. On the sidelines of the UNGA, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with a number of world leaders, including the UN Secretary-General. The Prime Minister is also likely to interact with business leaders and select members of the media. On the margins of the Session, Ministerial level meetings of many regional and sub-regional organizations are also held, including OIC, G-77, ECO, SAARC, Commonwealth, D-8 and others. There will also be a meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan is a great advocate of multilateralism and the United Nations to promote collective responses to the multifaceted challenges of global peace, security and development. We would continue our constructive role and engagement at the UN with a view to protecting and promoting our national interests, including on core issues such as Jammu & Kashmir, reform of the Security Council, counter-terrorism, human rights, peacekeeping, and a host of development and other matters. Earlier the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on other day met Hurriyat leaders and assured them that he would “emphatically highlight” the Kashmir issue at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly .PM Nawaz Sharif met with the leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference at Muzaffarabad.“Pakistan will continue to extend moral, diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris,” Sharif said, alleging that atrocities in Kashmir had touched extremes.Oppression is destined to end, and truth will prevail,” he said in reference to the ongoing violence in Kashmir. He said the Kashmiris’ demand for their right to self-determination was just, which had also been acknowledged by international community. Calling upon the UN to fulfill its obligation in accordance with its own resolutions, he said: “The movement of Kashmiris will ultimately succeed as the history has precedents that such movements could not be suppressed with oppression. Pakistan will raise voice for the resolution of Kashmir dispute at all forum.”Hurriyat leaders thanked Sharif for taking them into confidence before his visit to UNGA.