ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan raised concerns over India’s violations of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the UN Headquarters on Monday.
Dar emphasised that India’s actions posed a serious threat to regional stability and urged the UN to play its role in ensuring adherence to international agreements. He also highlighted other critical national and regional issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and “externally sponsored terrorism” in Pakistan.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering and resolute” commitment to multilateralism and the UN’s central role in conflict resolution, sustainable development, and protection of fundamental human rights. The UN chief appreciated Pakistan’s active presence and initiatives at the Security Council, where Islamabad holds the presidency this month.
Dar said Pakistan remained fully committed to the UN Charter, particularly promoting peace through dialogue and diplomacy. He cited the high-level debate on multilateralism and peaceful settlement of disputes, as well as the meeting on UN-OIC cooperation held under Pakistan’s presidency, as a reflection of Islamabad’s commitment to global peace efforts.
Reiterating Pakistan’s stance on the Middle East, he called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, firm opposition to Israel’s annexation plans in the West Bank, and unwavering support for Palestinian statehood.
Both sides also discussed concessional financing for developing countries, debt relief, and liquidity solutions for the Global South. Dar said the Secretary General’s “UN80” initiative provides an important opportunity to strengthen the UN’s three pillars – peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.
Welcoming the appointment of a UN Special Envoy on Islamophobia, Foreign Minister Dar expressed Pakistan’s readiness to support global efforts to combat religious intolerance.
The meeting, according to diplomatic officials, reflected Pakistan’s bid to assert its role as an active player in multilateral diplomacy under its current presidency of the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, Dar stated that Pakistan is targeting using 60 per cent renewable energy by 2030 during his address to the General Debate of the Ministerial Segment of the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO).
According to the FO, Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and outlined key policy measures driving growth, climate resilience and economic reform in his address.
“The compounding effects of the pandemic, the food, fuel, and finance crises, as well as intensifying climate impacts, have reversed hard-won development gains and deepened inequalities,” the FM said in his speech.
“Despite these challenges, Pakistan remains fully committed to achieving the 2030 Agenda. Our national development strategies, such as Uraan Pakistan, are aligned with the SDGs.”
The FM also highlighted initiatives such as the Benazir Income Support Programme and the ‘Living Indus’ and ‘Recharge Pakistan’ initiatives for climate adaptation and renewable energy, the FO’s statement read.
Dar also “emphasised the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in aligning foreign direct investment with Pakistan’s development priorities, particularly in sectors critical to sustainable growth”.
“While national efforts are essential, these cannot succeed in isolation. As the Secretary-General has rightly emphasised, deep reform of the international financial architecture is critical for implementing the SDGs,” the FM continued.
“Developing countries need scaled-up access to concessional and grant-based resources, meaningful debt relief, and scaled-up climate finance in order to bridge the SDG Financing Gap.”
