Islamabad: The all important general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will be commencing from September 22 in a virtual session with zero in-person participation from anyone from outside.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will take part in the General Assembly in New York and will be addressing it on September 25, as detailed by Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri during a weekly press briefing on Friday.
“The Foreign Minister will participate virtually in the high level meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations,” he said.
As per diplomatic sources, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is gearing up to use the platform of the UN to rank up the India-Pakistan conflict along the Line of Control (LoC) with prime focus on the pertaining issue of Kashmir, which has escalated tensions since August 5, 2019, when J&K’s special status was removed.
Sources also said that Imran Khan’s address to the UNGA will be focused on what Islamabad calls Indian aggression along the LoC, India’s ongoing “oppression” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the imposed lockdown situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Khan will be calling upon the Indian government to immediately restore internet services in J&K, release all prisoners, especially the civil society members and journalists, remove Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Public Safety Act and other laws, and allow independent media and international human rights observers to visit the region to independently observe the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the source maintained.
Khan will be calling on UN member countries to pressure India over Kashmir and ask the member states to push New Delhi on table talks with Pakistan over the Kashmir dispute.
Khan will also talk about the initiation of the Afghan dialogue process, highlighting Islamabad’s efforts to ensure that the dialogue for Aghan peace becomes a reality. The Pakistan premier is also expected to drag India in it as well, calling it a ‘spoiler’, which intends to destabilise the peace process.
Khan is also expected to reaffirm Pakistan’s all out alliance and support to China over its dispute with India.