Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked India to revoke its August 5, 2019 decision that scrapped the occupied Jammu and Kashmir of its special status enshrined in the Indian constitution.

“Let me state in no uncertain terms that Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression, therefore, to secure durable peace India must reverse its unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since the 5th of August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of Kashmir people,” the premier said in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.

In 2019, the ruling government of India Bharatiya Janata Party revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status by repealing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The move allowed people from the rest of the country to have the right to acquire property in occupied Kashmir and settle there permanently.

Since India’s 2019 constitutional changes, freedom fighters in Kashmir have largely been crushed.

Dissent has been criminalised, media freedoms curbed and public protests limited, in what critics say is a drastic curtailment of civil liberties by India.

The premier noted that the nuclear armed neighbour has “spurned” Pakistan’s proposals for a restrained regime and accused the Narendra Modi-led leadership of threatening to cross the Line of Control and take over Azad Jammu Kashmir.

It was Shehbaz’s second address to the UNGA as the prime minister. His first address to the UN session was during the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government in the country.

‘Fears of new world order’

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned of a “new world order” amid Israel’s war in Gaza, Ukraine conflict, resurging terrorism, poverty, and the increasing impact of climate change.

“Today we are facing the most daunting challenges to the world order, Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, a dangerous conflict in Ukraine, destructive conflicts across Africa, Asia, rising geopolitical tensions, resurging terrorism, galloping poverty, stifling debt, and the mounting impact of climate change. We feel the chill of new world order,” the premier said.

He started his speech with Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam’s words, “We stand by the United Nations Charter and will gladly make our full contribution to peace and prosperity of the world.”

The premier claimed that the South Asian country has stood by such a commitment unwaveringly.

More to follow…