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Published 21 Sep, 2024 09:48pm

PM Shehbaz leaves for New York to attend UNGA session

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has left for New York, US to represent Pakistan at the seventy-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“Looking forward to a busy week full of engagements. During our interactions we will take up global issues, promoting peace, development & climate action,” he said in a social media post on X on Saturday.

The UNGA session would be conducted from September 23 to September 27. The premier would be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and senior government officials.

“Will present Pakistan’s perspective to the world, advocate our interests & strengthen international partnerships.”

According to the Foreign Office, PM Shehbaz in his address would reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism; and express support for the role of the United Nations in fostering global peace, security, and prosperity. He would emphasise the importance of addressing long-standing issues on the agenda of the UN Security Council, including the question of Palestine and the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

The prime minister would attend several meetings on the side-lines of the UNGA Session including the ‘High-Level Meeting on Existential Threat posed by Sea-level Rise’; and the UN Security Council’s Open Debate on “Leadership for Peace”. His programme would also include bilateral meetings with world leaders; meetings with the UN secretary general and the UNGA president; and members of the Pakistani diaspora.

Similarly, Deputy PM Dar would have an extensive programme, consisting of several “high-level events” and bilateral meetings with his counterparts.

He would represent Pakistan at the “Summit of the Future” convened by the UN secretary general on September 22 to 23. He would also take part in several ministerial meetings including the OIC Annual Coordination Meeting of Foreign Ministers; the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir; the Ministerial meeting of G77 & China; and the Non-Aligned Movement’s Ministerial meeting.

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“The PM’s upcoming participation in the 79thUNGA Session will be an opportunity to present Pakistan’s policy perspectives on important issues on the global agenda, and reaffirm Pakistan’s strong commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and international peace and security,” according to the FO.

When asked in the last press briefing that has India requested a meeting with PM Shehbaz on the margins of this UNGA Summit, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “Your answer is in the negative. No.”

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