YouSaid · the spoken record

Imran Khan

lines on the record: 85
first: 2019-09-24
most recent: 2021-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I urge you to mobilize the international community, and move in this direction. Thank you.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“They will not allow their soil to be used by terrorist. And they have given amnesty. If the world community incentivizes them, and encourages them to walk this talk, it will be a win-win situation for everyone. Because these are the four conditions that the US-Taliban dialogue in Doha was all about. If the world can incentivise them to go this direction, then this twenty-year presence of the coalition forces in Afghanistan would not be wasted after all. Because the Afghan soil would not be used by the international terrorists. I end Mr. President, by urging everyone that this is a critical time for Afghanistan. You cannot waste time. Help is needed there. Humanitarian assistance has to be given there immediately. The Secretary General of the United Nations has taken bold steps.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“There are two paths that we can take. If we neglect Afghanistan right now, according to the UN half the people of Afghanistan are already vulnerable, and by next year almost 90 per cent of the people in Afghanistan will go below the poverty line. There is a huge humanitarian crisis looming ahead. And this will have serious repercussions not just for the neighbours of Afghanistan but everywhere. A destabilized, chaotic Afghanistan will again become a safe haven for international terrorists — the reason why the US came to Afghanistan in the first place. Therefore, there is only one way to go. We must strengthen and stabilize the current government, for the sake of the people of Afghanistan. What have the Taliban promised? They will respect human rights. They will have an inclusive government.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I went to the US, I spoke to thinktanks, I met the then Senator Biden, Senator John Kerry, Senator Harry Reid — I tried to explain to them that there would not be any military solution, and political settlement was the way forward. No one understood then. And unfortunately, in trying to force a military solution is where the US went wrong. And if today, the world needs to know why the Taliban are back in power, all it has to do is to do a deep analysis of why a 300,000 strong well equipped Afghan army — and remember Afghans are one of the bravest nations on Earth — gave up without a fight. The moment a deep analysis of this is done, the world would know why the Taliban came back to power and it is not because of Pakistan. Mr. President, Now the whole international community should think what is the way ahead.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Had it not been for one of the most disciplined army in the world and one of the best intelligence agencies in the world, I think Pakistan would have gone down. So, when we hear this at the end. There is a lot of worry in the US about taking care of the interpreters and everyone who helped the US. What about us? The only reason we suffered so much was because we became an ally of the US — of the Coalition — in the war in Afghanistan. There were attacks being conducted from the Afghan soil into Pakistan. At least there should have been a word of appreciation. But rather than appreciation, imagine how we feel when we are blamed for the turn of events in Afghanistan. After 2006, it became clear to everyone who understood Afghanistan and its history that there would be no military solution in Afghanistan.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“And they too attacked the Government of Pakistan. When our Army went into the tribal areas first time in our history — whenever an army goes into the civilian areas, there is collateral damage — so, there was collateral damage, which multiplied the militants to seek revenge. But not just that. The world must know that in Pakistan there were 480 drone attacks conducted by the US. And we all know that the drone attacks are not that precise. They cause more collateral damage than the militants they are targeting. So, people whose relatives had been killed sought revenge against Pakistan. Between 2004 and 2014, there were 50 different militant groups attacking the State of Pakistan. At one point, people, people like us were worried, that will we survive this? There were bombs going all over Pakistan. Our capital was like a fortress.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The same Mujahideen that we had trained, that fighting foreign occupation was a sacred duty, a holy war or jehad, turned against us. We were called collaborators. They declared jihad on us. Then all along the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan — Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt — where no Pakistan army had been there since our independence, people had strong sympathies with the Afghan Taliban, not because of their religious ideology but because of Pashtun nationalism, which is very strong. Then there are three million Afghan refugees still in Pakistan all Pashtuns, living in the camps. 500,000 in the biggest camp, 100,000 camps. They all had affinity and sympathy with the Afghan Taliban. So, what happened? They too turned against Pakistan. For the first time we had militant Taliban in Pakistan.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“These were considered heroes. President Ronald Regan invited them to the White House in 1983. And according to a news item, he compared them to the founding fathers of the United States. They were heroes. Come 1989, the Soviets leave, and so do the Americans — abandoning Afghanistan. Pakistan was left with 5 million Afghan refugees. We were left with sectarian militant groups which were never existed before. But the worse cut of it was, that a year later Pakistan was sanctioned by the US. We felt used. Fast forward 9/11, Pakistan is needed again by the US, because now the US- led coalition was invading Afghanistan, and it could not happen without Pakistan providing all the logistical support. What happened after that?”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“For the current situation in Afghanistan, for some reason, Pakistan has been blamed for the turn of events, by politicians in the United States and some politicians in Europe. From this platform, I want them all to know, the country that suffered the most, apart from Afghanistan, was Pakistan, when we joined the US War on Terror after 9/11. Some 80,000 Pakistanis died. $150 billion dollars were lost to our economy. There were 3.5 million internally displaced Pakistanis. And why did this happen? In the 1980s, Pakistan was a front-line state in fighting against the occupation of Afghanistan. Pakistan and the United States trained Mujahideen groups to fight for the liberation of Afghanistan. Amongst those Mujahideen groups was Al-Qaeda, various groups from all over the world. There were Mujahideen, Afghan Mujahideen.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The onus remains on India to create a conducive environment for meaningful and result-oriented engagement with Pakistan. And for that, it must: One, reverse its unilateral and illegal measures instituted since 5th August 2019; Two, stop its oppression and human rights violations against the people of Kashmir; and Three, halt and reverse the demographic changes in the occupied territory. It is also essential to prevent another conflict between Pakistan and India. India’s military build-up, development of advanced nuclear weapons, and acquisition of destabilising conventional capabilities, can erode mutual deterrence between the two countries. And now Mr. President, I want to talk about Afghanistan.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I call on this General Assembly to demand that Syed Geelani’s mortal remains be allowed to be buried in the “cemetery of martyrs” with the appropriate Islamic rites. Mr. President, Pakistan desires peace with India, as with all its neighbours. But sustainable peace in South Asia is contingent upon resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Last February, we reaffirmed the 2003 ceasefire understanding along the Line of Control. The hope was that it would lead to a rethink of the strategy in New Delhi. Sadly, the BJP government has intensified repression in Kashmir and continues to vitiate the environment by these barbaric acts.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Geopolitical considerations, or corporate interests, commercial interests often compel major powers to overlook the transgressions of their “affiliated” countries. Such double standards are the most glaring in case of India, where this RSS-BJP regime is being allowed to get away with human rights abuses with complete impunity. The most recent example of Indian barbarity was the forcible snatching of the mortal remains of the great Kashmiri leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, from his family, denying him a proper Islamic funeral and burial, in accordance with his wishes and Muslim traditions. Devoid of any legal or moral sanction, this action was even against the basic norms of human decency.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“This repression is accompanied by illegal efforts to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory, and transform it from a Muslim majority into a Muslim minority. Indian actions violate the resolutions of the UN Security Council on Jammu and Kashmir. The resolutions clearly prescribe that the “final disposition” of the disputed territory should be decided by its people, through a free and impartial plebiscite held under the UN auspices. India’s actions in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir also violate International Human Rights and Humanitarian Laws, including the 4th Geneva Convention, and amount to “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity.” It is unfortunate, very unfortunate, that the world’s approach to violations of human rights lacks even-handedness, and even is selective.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It has undertaken: - a series of illegal and unilateral measures in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir since 5th August 2019; - it has unleashed a reign of terror by an occupation force of 900,000; - it has jailed senior Kashmiri leadership; - imposed a clampdown on media and internet; - violently suppressed peaceful protests; - abducted 13,000 young Kashmiris and tortured hundreds of them; - it has extrajudicially killed hundreds of innocent Kashmiris in fake “encounters”; and - imposed collective punishments by destroying entire neighbourhoods and villages. We have unveiled a detailed dossier on gross and systematic violations of human rights by the Indian Security Forces in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The hate- filled Hindutva ideology, propagated by the fascist RSS-BJP regime, has unleashed a reign of fear and violence against India’s 200 million strong Muslim community. Mob lynching by cow vigilantes; frequent pogroms, such as the one in New Delhi last year; discriminatory citizenship laws to purge India of Muslims; and a campaign to destroy mosques across India and obliterate its Muslim heritage and history, are all part of this criminal enterprise. New Delhi has also embarked on what it ominously calls the “final solution” for the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, terrorism has been associated with Islam by some quarters. This has increased the tendency of right-wing, xenophobic and violent nationalists, extremists and terrorist groups to target Muslims. The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy has recognized these emerging threats. We hope the Secretary-General’s report will focus on these new threats of terrorism posed by Islamophobes and right-wing extremists. I call on the Secretary-General to convene a global dialogue on countering the rise of Islamophobia. Our parallel efforts, at the same time, should be to promote interfaith harmony, and they should continue. Mr. President, The worst and most pervasive form of Islamophobia now rules India.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I foresee, in the not-too-distant future a time will come when the rich countries will be forced to build walls to keep out economic migrants from these poor countries. I fear a few “wealthy islands” in the sea of poverty will also turn into a global calamity, like climate change. The General Assembly must take steps meaningfully to address this deeply disturbing, and morally repugnant, situation. Naming and shaming the ‘haven’ destinations and developing a comprehensive legal framework to halt and reverse the illicit financial flows are most critical actions to stop this grave economic injustice. And at a minimum, the recommendations of Secretary-General’s FACTI panel should be fully implemented. Mr. President, Islamophobia is another pernicious phenomenon that we all need to collectively combat.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It depletes their already meagre resources, accentuates the levels of poverty especially when laundered money puts pressure on the currency and leads to its devaluation. At the current rate, when the FACTI Panel estimates that a trillion dollars every year are taken out of the developing world, there will be mass exodus of economic migrants towards the richer nations. What the East India Company did to India, the crooked ruling elites are doing to developing world — plundering the wealth and transferring to western capitals and offshore tax havens. And Mr. President, retrieving the stolen assets from the developed countries is impossible for poor nations. The rich countries have no incentives, or compulsion, to return this ill-gotten wealth, and this ill-gotten wealth belongs to the masses of the developing world.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I propose that the Secretary-General convene an SDG summit in 2025 to review and accelerate implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr. President, Because of the plunder of the developing world by their corrupt ruling elites, the gap between the rich and the poor countries is increasing at an alarming speed. Through this platform, I have been drawing the world’s attention towards the scourge of illicit financial flows from developing countries. The Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI) has calculated that a staggering $7 trillion in stolen assets are parked in the financial “haven” destinations. This organized theft and illegal transfer of assets has profound consequences for the developing nations.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“To address the triple crisis of COVID pandemic, economic downturn, and climate emergency, we need a comprehensive strategy that should include: One, vaccine equity: everyone, everywhere, must be vaccinated against COVID, and as soon as possible; Two, adequate financing must be made available to developing countries. This can be ensured through comprehensive debt restructuring; expanded ODA; redistribution of unutilized SDRs, and allotment of a greater proportion of SDRs to developing countries; and finally, provision of climate finance; and Three, we must adopt clear investment strategies which help alleviate poverty, promote job creation, build sustainable infrastructure, and of course bridge the digital divide.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Our calibrated strategy of ‘smart lockdowns’ helped save lives and livelihoods and kept the economy afloat. Over 15 million families survived through our social protection programme of Ehsaas. Mr. President, Climate change is one of the primary existential threats that our planet faces today. Pakistan’s contribution to global emissions is negligible. Yet we are among the 10 most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change in the world. Being fully aware of our global responsibilities, we have embarked upon game changing environmental programmes: reforesting Pakistan through our 10 billion tree tsunami; preserving natural habitats; switching to renewable energy; removing pollution from our cities; and adapting to the impacts of climate change.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Mr. President, I congratulate you on assuming the presidency of the 76th session of the General Assembly. I also wish to express appreciation for the significant achievements of your predecessor, Volkan Bozkir, who guided the Assembly skilfully under the difficult circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. President, The world is facing triple challenge of the COVID-19, the accompanying economic crisis, and the threats posed by climate change. The virus does not discriminate between nations and people. Nor do the catastrophes imposed by uncertain weather patterns. The common threats faced by us today not only expose the fragility of the international system; they also underscore the oneness of humanity. By the grace of Almighty Allah, Pakistan has been successful so far in containing the COVID pandemic.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Pakistan will continue to participate actively in this process and endeavour, with other Member States, to build a world where conflict is outlawed and equitable prosperity for all pursued in conditions of peace and security. I thank you.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, The United Nations remains the best legitimate avenue for collective action — in managing international conflicts, fostering peace and security, promoting equitable development and addressing global problems. I urge the Secretary-General to take the lead in preventing global conflicts. He should convene Summit-level meetings to address regional hot spots and resolve outstanding disputes. The United Nations should be made fully responsive to the challenges of our times. A comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, is essential to promote greater democracy, accountability, transparency and efficiency.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Peace and stability in Afghanistan will open new opportunities for development and regional connectivity. New vistas of cooperation could emerge with Central Asia and beyond. Mr. President, Palestine remains a ‘festering wound’. A just and lasting settlement is indispensable, for the Middle East and the world. Illegal annexations of Palestinian territory, the building of illegal settlements and the imposition of inhuman living conditions on the Palestinian people especially in Gaza cannot bring peace to a troubled region. Pakistan continues to support a two-state solution — in line with UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, within the internationally agreed parameters, pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the Capital of a united, contiguous and independent Palestinian state. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Pakistan fully facilitated the process that culminated in the U.S.-Taliban Peace Agreement on 29 February 2020. Pakistan is deeply gratified that it has fulfilled its part of the responsibility. The Afghan leaders must now seize this historic opportunity to achieve reconciliation and restore peace in their war-torn country. Through the Intra-Afghan Negotiations that commenced on 12 September, they must work out an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement. The process must be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, and without any interference or outside influence. Early return of Afghan refugees must be a part of the political solution. After almost two decades of war, it is imperative not to allow “spoilers” — within and outside Afghanistan — to subvert the peace process.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It must also take steps to protect the Kashmiris from an impending genocide by India. Pakistan has always called for a peaceful solution. To this end, India must rescind the measures it has instituted since 5 August 2019, end its military siege and other gross human rights violations, and agree to resolve the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Mr. President, Pakistan’s desire for peace in our region is also manifest in our efforts to promote a political solution in Afghanistan. I have consistently maintained over the past two decades that there is no military solution to the decades-old conflict in Afghanistan. The only way forward was and is a political settlement which involves the full spectrum of Afghanistan’s political actors.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, were born in the colonial India and I was the first generation that grew up in an independent Pakistan. I want to make it clear that any attempt by the fascist totalitarian RSS-led Indian government to aggress against Pakistan will be met by a nation that will fight for its freedom to the end. Mr. President, There will be no durable peace and stability in South Asia until the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is resolved on the basis of international legitimacy. Kashmir has been rightly described as a “nuclear flash point”. The Security Council must prevent a disastrous conflict and secure the implementation of its own resolutions as it did in the case of East Timor. The Council has considered the situation in Jammu and Kashmir three times in the past year. It must take appropriate enforcement actions.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The government and people of Pakistan are committed to standing by and supporting their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their legitimate struggle for self-determination. Mr. President, In order to divert attention from its illegal actions and atrocities in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India is playing a dangerous game of upping the military ante against Pakistan in a nuclearized strategic environment. Despite constant Indian provocations and ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary targeting innocent civilians, Pakistan has exercised maximum restraint. We have consistently sensitized the world community about a ‘false flag’ operation and another ill-conceived misadventure by India. My parents, Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“To this end, the military siege is being followed by moves to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory. This is an attempt to obliterate the distinct Kashmiri identity in order to affect the outcome of a plebiscite envisaged in the UN Security Council resolutions. This action is in violation of the UN Charter, Council resolutions and international law, particularly the 4th Geneva Convention. Changing demographic structure of occupied territory is a war crime. Mr. President, The brave Kashmiri people will never submit to Indian occupation and oppression. Their struggle is indigenous. They are fighting for a just cause and generation after generation have laid down their lives to rid themselves of Indian occupation.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The Kashmiri media, and those daring to raise their voice, are being systematically harassed and intimidated through the use of draconian laws. All of this is well documented in the reports of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, communications from the Special Rapporteurs of Human Rights Council, statements from human rights and civil society organizations. The international community must investigate these grave violations and prosecute the Indian civil and military personnel involved in state terrorism and serious crimes against humanity, being perpetrated, with complete impunity. Mr. President, The objective of this brutal campaign is to impose what the RSS-BJP regime has itself called the ‘Final Solution’ for Jammu and Kashmir.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“On 5th August last year, India illegally and unilaterally sought to change the status of the occupied territories and deployed additional troops, bringing the total number to 900,000, to impose a military siege on 8 million Kashmiris. All Kashmiri political leaders were incarcerated; about 13,000 Kashmiri youth were abducted and thousands tortured; a complete curfew was imposed, accompanied by a total communications blackout. Indian occupation forces have used brute force including pellet guns against peaceful protestors; imposed collective punishments, including the destruction of entire neighbourhoods, and extra-judicially murdered hundreds of innocent young Kashmiris in fake “encounters”, refusing even to hand over their bodies for burial.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mass registrations in the past have often been a precursor to genocide, e.g. the Nuremburg Laws in Germany in 1935 and then in 1982 inMyanmar. The Hindutva ideology is set to marginalize almost 300 million human beings — Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. This is unprecedented in history and does not augur well for the future of India as we all know that marginalization of human beings leads to radicalization. Mr. President, For over 72 years, India has illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir against the wishes of the Kashmiri people, and in blatant violation of the resolutions of the Security Council and indeed its own commitments.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“In 1992, the RSS destroyed Babri Mosque; in 2002, some 2000 Muslims were slaughtered in Gujarat, and this was under the watch of Chief Minister Modi; and in 2007, over 50 Muslims were burnt alive by RSS arsonists aboard the Samjhota Express Train. In Assam, around two million Muslims face the prospects of being arbitrarily stripped of their nationality through the adoption of discriminatory laws. There are reports of large concentration camps being filledwith by Muslim Indian citizens. Muslims were falsely blamed, vilified and victimized for spreading the Corona virus. They were denied medical attention on many occasions, their businesses were boycotted. Cow vigilantes attack and kill Muslims with impunity. Last February, Muslims faced targeted killings, with police complicity inNew Delhi.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, The one country in the world today where, the state sponsors Islamophobia, is India. The reason behind this is RSS ideology that unfortunately rules India today. This extremist ideology was founded in 1920s. The RSS founding fathers were inspired by the Nazis and they adopted the concepts of racial purity and supremacy. While the Nazis hate was directed at the Jews, the RSS directs it towards the Muslims and to a lesser extent towards the Christians. They believe that India is exclusive for Hindus and others are not equal citizens. The secularism of Gandhi and Nehru has been replaced by the dream of creating a Hindu Rashtra by subjugating, even cleansing India’s 200 million Muslims and other minorities.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Unfortunately, it has instead fanned nationalism, increased global tensions, and given rise to racial and religious hatred and violence against vulnerable minorities in several places. These trends have also accentuated ‘Islamophobia’. Muslims continue to be targeted with impunity in many countries. Our shrines are being destroyed; our Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) insulted; the Holy Quran burnt — and all this in the name of freedom of speech. Incidents in Europe, including republication of blasphemous sketches by Charlie Hebdo, are recent examples. We stress that wilful provocations and incitement to hate and violence must be universally outlawed. This Assembly should declare an “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” and build a resilient coalition to fight this scourge — scourge that splits humanity. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“This should make us all worried for our future generations. Commitments made through the Paris Agreement must be fulfilled, in particular the commitment to mobilize $100 billion annually as climate finance. Pakistan’s contribution to carbon emissions is minimal, but it is one of those countries most affected by climate change. Yet, we have decided to take the lead as we consider addressing climate change a universal responsibility. We have launched an extremely ambitious programme to plant 10 billion trees in next three years as our contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change. Mr. President, The pandemic was an opportunity to bring humanity together.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The rich states cannot hold forth on human rights and justice when they provide sanctuary to money launderers’ and their looted wealth and protection of their person. There are robust anti-Money Laundering and anti-Terrorist Financing regimes. I call upon this Assembly to take the lead in efforts to build a global framework to stem the illicit financial flows and ensure speedy repatriation of stolen wealth. It is important to realize that the aid that flows from rich countries to the developing world is miniscule compared to the massive out-flows by our corrupt elites. Mr. President, This year, I must again reiterate the threat posed to mankind due to Climate Change. Unprecedented fires in Australia, Siberia, California, Brazil; unprecedented flooding in various parts of the world; and record temperatures even in the Arctic Circle.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Money that could be used towards human development is siphoned off by corrupt elites.The loss of foreign exchange causes currency depreciation that in turn leads to inflation and poverty. The quest for getting back these stolen resources is nearly impossible, given the cumbersome procedures. Moreover, the powerful money launderers have access to the best lawyers. And sadly, because they are the beneficiaries, there is a lack of political will in the rich countries to curb this criminal activity. Mr. President, If this phenomena is unaddressed, it will continue to accentuate the inequality between the rich and the poor nations, and eventually will spark off a far bigger global crisis than the present migration issue poses.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The official debt suspension will need to be extended and expanded. Additional debt relief measures will also be needed. Multilateral Development Banks should ensure adequate financial inflows. Rich countries have generated over ten trillion dollars to finance their own response and recovery. They should support the creation of at least $500 billion in new Special Drawing Rights for the developing world. Mr. President, In my address to the General Assembly last year, I had highlighted the tremendous damage that illicit financial flows from developing countries to rich countries and offshore tax havens cause. This leads to the impoverishment of the developing nations.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Today, Pakistan’s response is cited among the success stories in controlling and responding to the pandemic. However, we are still not out of the woods, like no country is out of the woods today. Mr. President, It was obvious from the outset that developing countries would need fiscal space to respond to, and recover from, the COVID-19 crisis. Debt relief is one of the best ways to create that fiscal space for developing countries. Therefore, in early April, I called for a “Global Initiative on Debt Relief”. We appreciate the G-20’s official debt suspension initiative and the emergency and rapid financing offered by the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and UN Agencies. This, however, is not enough. The IMF has estimated that developing countries will need over $2.5 trillion to respond and recover from the crisis.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Therefore, we adopted a policy of ‘smart lockdown.’ While concentrating on the virus hot-spots we opened up our agricultural sector immediately and then followed it up with the construction sector,which employed most of the people. At the same time, and this is despite financial constraints, my government deployed an unprecedented $8 billion for our health services; plussupport the poorest and most vulnerable households with direct cash payments through Ehsaas programme; and subsidies to small businesses. Even though our ‘smart lockdown’ was heavily criticized in the beginning, but thanks to Almighty Allah’s Grace, we have not only managed to control the virus, stabilize our economy, but most importantly, we have been able to protect the poorest segment of the society from the worst fall out of the lock down.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We must come together to prevent such a catastrophe. We believe the driving force in international relations must be cooperation, in accordance with principles of international law, and not confrontation and force. We all must emphatically reaffirm our support for multilateralism. Mr. President, The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the oneness of humanity. In our interconnected world, no one is safe unless everyone is safe. Locking down to control the pandemic has triggered the worst recession since the GreatDepression in the last Century. This has hit the poorest countries the hardest as well as the poor in all the countries. In Pakistan, we realized very early on that if we imposed a strict lockdown, the type that several affluent countries had imposed, we would have more people dying of hunger than the virus.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Today, the foundations of ‘world order’- non-use of or threat of unilateral force, self-determination of peoples, the sovereign equality and territorial integrity of States, non-interference in their internal affairs, international cooperation — all these ideals are being systematically eroded. International agreements are being flouted and set aside. Renewed great-power rivalries are leading to a new arms race. Conflicts are proliferating and intensifying. Military occupation and illegal annexations are suppressing the right of human beings to self-determination. According to respected Professor Noam Chomsky, mankind is at even a greater risk than it was before the First and Second World Wars in the last century because of the increased threat of nuclear war, Climate Change, and sadly the rise of authoritarian regimes.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“A just and humane society where all Government policies are directed at lifting our citizens out of poverty and creating a just and equitable dispensation. To achieve this goal, we need to have peace and stability. Thus our foreign policy aims to have peace with our neighbours and settle disputes through dialogue. Mr. President, The 75th Anniversary of the United Nations is an extremely important milestone as this is the only body in the world that can help us achieve our goal of peace and stability in our neighbourhood. This is also a time for us to reflect whether as the United Nations we have been able to realize the promise we collectively made to our peoples.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President, Secretary-General Guterres, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honoured to address the United Nations General Assembly once again. I congratulate His Excellency Mr. Volkan Bozkir on his election as the President of the seventy-fifth session of the General Assembly. We also appreciate the skilful leadership of the outgoing President, His Excellency Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. We commend the leadership of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in these turbulent times. Mr. President, Since my government assumed office, our consistent effort has been to fundamentally transform Pakistan. We envisage ‘Naya Pakistan’ to be modelled on the principles of the State of Madinah, established by our Holy Prophet (PBUH).”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Unlike 1939, it is not the time to appease. It is the time to take action. The number one action must be for India to lift the inhumane curfew that has lasted for 55 days. It must free all political prisoners, especially those 13,000 boys who have been detained. Their parents do not know where they have been disappeared to. Then, the world community must give the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“But let us suppose a country seven times smaller than its neighbour is faced with the choice of either surrendering or fighting to the death for its freedom — what will we do? I ask myself that question, and my belief is that there is no God but God. We will fight. And when a nuclear-armed country fights to the end, there will be consequences that reach far beyond its borders. There will be consequences for the world, which is why I repeat that I am here to send out a warning. It is not a threat. It is a reasonable concern about where we are headed. I have come here to tell the United Nations that it must act. This is a test for the United Nations. It was the United Nations that guaranteed the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination. They are suffering because of that right and now is the time to do something.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Two nuclear-armed countries will come face to face, as they did in February. Yet the United Nations has a responsibility to stop us from heading in that direction. That is precisely why the United Nations came into being in 1945. It is supposed to stop such things from happening. I feel as if we are back in the Munich of 1939 and Czechoslovakia has just been taken — annexed. What is the world community going to do? Is it going to appease a market of 1.35 billion? Or is it going to stand up for justice and humanity? If things go wrong, the world will hope for the best, but it should be prepared for the worst. If a conventional war breaks out between the two countries, anything could happen.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In Myanmar, almost a million Rohingya Muslims were wiped out as a result of ethnic cleansing. What was the response of the world community? So what do members of the Assembly think would be the response of the 1.3 billion Muslims? I picture myself in Kashmir. I have been in lockdown for 55 days. I have heard about the rapes and about the Indian army soldiers going into homes. Would I want to live through such humiliation? Would I want to live like that? I would pick up a gun. The situation is forcing people into radicalization. When people lose the will to live, what is there to live for? That is the crux of the issue. If the international community can let that happen to human beings, it is actually radicalizing people. I therefore repeat that now is one of the most critical times. There will be a reaction. Pakistan will be blamed.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)