UNITED NATIONS, Nov 15 (APP): Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, on Wednesday had wide-ranging discussions with the United Nations General Assembly President, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, that centred on the worsening situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir which has been under a repressive military lockdown for over four months now.
Also discussed during the meeting — Akram’s first with the 193-member Assembly’s president after taking over as ambassador to the UN — were Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with focus on the goal of zero hunger aimed at ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture as well as measures to curb illicit financial flows, according to official sources.
The sources said the Pakistani envoy briefed the UNGA president about the continued Indian atrocities in the occupied territory. Despite the lapse of 100 days of India’s inhuman curfew and blanket restrictions on all forms of communications as well as systematic intimidation, he said normalcy has still not returned, and that fear grips the disputed state.
Ambassador Akram said Indian security forces have picked up thousands of Kashmiris, especially young men, and have kept them under arbitrary detention with the aim of suppressing the population.
He impressed upon the UNGA President that international community must play its role to end this decades old dispute as it can become a flash point between two nuclear-armed states.
Ambassador Akram and the president also discussed issues of agriculture and food security. The Pakistani envoy appreciated the president’s focus on zero hunger and said Pakistan would wholeheartedly support him to achieve his goals in this area.
He said Pakistan being an agrarian country could contribute in building capacities on these issues under the rubric of south-south cooperation.
