PM calls for countering terrorists, Hindutva inspired extremists

NEW YORK: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar has urged international community to counter all terrorists without any discrimination including Hindutva inspired extremists.

Addressing the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, he pointed out that the rising threat by the far right extremist and fascist groups poses genocide threat to Indian Muslims and Christians.

He stressed the need to oppose state terrorism and address its root causes such as poverty, injustice and foreign occupation besides distinguishing genuine freedom struggles from terrorism.

The Prime Minister noted that development depends on peace. He said Pakistan is situation in one of the least economically integrated region in the world and it believes that region develops together. He said Pakistan, therefore, desires peaceful and productive relations with all its neighbours, including India.

He pointed out that Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India. Jammu and Kashmir dispute is one of the oldest issues on the agenda of Security Council. He regretted that India has evaded implementation of the Security Council’s resolutions, which call for final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir to be decided by its people through UN supervised plebiscite.

Referring to the Indian atrocities in the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir especially ever since 5th August 2019, the Prime Minister called upon the UN Security Council to ensure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir dispute. He suggested the UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan be reinforced.

He urged the global powers to convince New Delhi to accept Islamabad’s offer of mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons.

The Prime Minister termed peace in Afghanistan a strategic imperative for Pakistan.

He said though Pakistan shares the international community’s concerns with respect to Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women and girls.

He, however, said Pakistan advocates continued humanitarian assistance to the destitute Afghan population in which Afghan women and girls are the most vulnerable as well as support for revival of the Afghan economy and implementation of connectivity projects with the Central Asia.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan’s first priority is to prevent and counter all forms of terrorism from and within Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan condemns the cross border attacks against Pakistan by the TTP, Daesh and other groups operating from Afghanistan.

He said though Pakistan enjoys Afghan support and cooperation to prevent these attacks, but it is also taking necessary measures to end this externally encouraged terrorism.

Alluding to the phenomenon of Islamophobia, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said it has assumed epidemic proportions after terrorist attacks of 9/11 as manifested in the negative profiling of Muslims and attacks on Islamic sites and symbols such as the recent public burning of Holy Quran.

He recalled that the UN General Assembly last year adopted a resolution proposed by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC declaring 15 March as an International Day to combat Islamophobia.

He said earlier this year the human rights council adopted an OIC resolution submitted by Pakistan urging states to outlaw the burning of the Holy Quran and similar provocations. He said Islamabad welcomes the legislation initiated by Denmark and contemplated by Sweden towards this end.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan and the OIC countries will propose further steps to combat Islamophobia including the appointment of a Special Envoy, creation of an Islamophobia data centre, legal assistance to victims and an accountability process to punish Islamophobic crimes.

Expressing Pakistan’s commitment to rapid economic recovery, the Prime Minister said his government will stabilize country’s foreign exchange reserves and currency, expand domestic revenues and most importantly mobilize significant domestic and external investment.

To this end, he said Pakistan has established a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to expedite investment decisions.

He said 28 projects have been identified in priority sectors: agriculture, mining, energy and IT for implementation in collaboration with Pakistan’s partners.

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said Pakistan’s long-term shift to geo-economics is well underway.

He said the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been initiated covering railway, infrastructure, and manufacturing projects.

He said Pakistan also looks forward to the early implementation of the “Connectivity” projects with Central Asia.