YouSaid · the spoken record

Haque

lines on the record: 53
first: 1999-08-27
most recent: 2019-02-28
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-security-council

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

“The safe zones may be non-military and civilian in nature, administered by humanitarian and human rights actors, including from the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. If the Council agrees, we can provide further ideas in that regard. As for the Special Envoy, we expect her to further intensify her efforts to attain her mandated goals, particularly the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingyas to their areas of origin. We should not allow Myanmar to turn the clock backward on any grounds, and therefore we urge the Council to act in a decisive manner.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“First, a new draft resolution must be negotiated to set out a regular reporting cycle as an oversight mechanism on the implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Commission and progress in investigations of human rights violations. Secondly, a select group of Council members, if not the full Council, should again visit the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar and Rakhine state to assess the developments since their visit to the region in April and May 2018. Thirdly, civilian-run safe zones must be created in the conflict-affected areas in Myanmar in order to ensure the safety and security of all civilians, irrespective of their ethnic or religious identity, as proposed by our Honourable Prime Minister in the general debate of seventy-second session of the General Assembly (see A/72/PV.14).”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“In these ghettoes inside Rakhine, some 130,000 Muslim inmates have been detained for over the past six years in inhuman conditions. The several thousand Rohingyas languishing in the so-called zero line of the Bangladesh-Myanmar border must be taken back. Although we expect the Security Council to maintain its custodianship so as to ensure Myanmar's compliance with the agreed provisions of bilateral arrangements for return with Bangladesh, the Council's pronouncements thus far have had no impact on improving the situation on the ground. Circumstances now necessitate concrete actions on the part of the Council before the situation spins out of control. In that context, we would like to make three specific proposals for the Council's consideration.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“Secondly, we must ensure the full implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the Myanmar Government, the United Nations Development Programme and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as well as of the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. We have been hearing that most of the recommendations contained in the report of the Annan Commission have already been implemented. Had that been so, I can assure the Council that the situation on the ground would have improved vastly. It is therefore very natural for one to ask why the Rohingyas are not willing to return voluntarily and why we are still seeing fresh arrivals up to this very day. Thirdly, the existing camps for internally displaced persons must be dismantled.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“The Rakhine state Government has prohibited the humanitarian activities of international agencies in several areas, which has made the prospects of return by Rohingyas more uncertain. I regret to inform the Council that Bangladesh will no longer be in a position to accommodate more people from Myanmar. Our priority is nothing but the safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified return of the Rohingyas. This requires building confidence among them about returning. Some specific measures on the part of Myanmar, demonstrating its sincerity about return, may be helpful in the short term. Let me mention a few. First, Myanmar should address the accountability issue. Myanmar's own investigation processes seem to have failed time and again. Therefore, the existing United Nations mechanisms need to be operationalized.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“Regrettably, as far as repatriation is concerned, the situation has gone from bad to worse. In a press release of 18 January, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Ms. Yanghee, Lee expressed alarm over escalating violence in northern and central Rakhine state and in Chin state. According to her statement, since November 2018 the Myanmar military has been engaged in heavy fighting, resulting in deaths and injuries to civilians and the renewed displacement of people. As a result, we have had an influx even of Rakhine Buddhists into Bangladesh. These developments only serve to corroborate what we have been saying from the very beginning of the crisis - it is about repression of all the ethnic minorities in the Rakhine state, not just Muslim Rohingyas, who have been the traditional focus of atrocity crimes.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“Yet, not a single Rohingya has volunteered to return to Rakhine due to the absence of a conducive environment there. As to our friends in the international community who advocate a bilateral approach to the repatriation of Rohingyas, we would like to reassure them of our goodwill and genuine intent to resolve this crisis, following that path. But they must also fulfil their part of the commitment, as agreed by Bangladesh and Myanmar, on the scope and role of "interested international partners" in the return and reintegration process. Investing in Rakhine without guaranteeing the return of Rohingyas with basic human rights, is not likely to produce any result. The policy of appeasement is clearly not working here, just as it has not worked anywhere in the past.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“The report says: "Their attitudes have shifted from the start of the crisis, where they felt much more supportive and welcoming of Rohingya but now are much less so, feeling that Rohingya have 'been here too long."' The idea of the long-term hosting of Rohingyas by Bangladesh is not at all a viable proposition. Even if the repatriation started today, it would take another 12 years, based on the estimation that 300 Rohingyas would return per day. In diplomacy, there is no such thing as an exhaustive list. Yet, I must mention that we have tried everything bilaterally with Myanmar for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingyas and are now continuing our bilateral engagements despite Myanmar's hollow promises and various obstructionist approaches. We have also engaged with regional partners.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“The prolonged presence of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh has been posing formidable challenges and adversely impacting our economy, environment, social fabric and security. We are also faced with the threats of human and drug trafficking and radicalization, with further ramifications for the region and beyond. In order to inform the Council of what the local communities are thinking, let me refer to a January 2019 report of Ground Truth Solutions, an international non-governmental organization supported by Switzerland and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that researches the views of people in crises.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“The high level of alertness and effective prevention measures undertaken by law enforcement agencies, in line with our zero- tolerance policy, render it absolutely impossible for any terrorist outfit to be present in Bangladesh. In fact, Bangladesh has been providing enormous support to Myanmar over the past few years and conducted many combing operations against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. We have always reminded Myanmar of the potential risks of farming the fire of extremism and stoking nationalist feelings to demonize the Rohingyas in Rakhine. It is not only Rohingyas who are suffering; our own people, the host community, are also suffering through no fault of their own.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“Its solution therefore has to be found in Myanmar and by Myanmar. It is most unfortunate that the Myanmar authorities are now accusing us of harbouring terrorists, which is a clear attempt to shift the blame on Bangladesh. The Permanent Representative of Myanmar referred to certain incidents, concerning which we will report to the Council after the necessary verification at our end. In the face of such ridiculous allegations, we cannot but reiterate that our Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is firmly committed to not allowing any group from any other country to use our soil or resources for terrorism.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“Is there anything more disappointing than discovering that despite our wholehearted efforts, the repatriation cannot start due to non-conducive conditions in Rakhine state of Myanmar? Is Bangladesh being made to pay the price for being responsive and responsible in showing empathy to a persecuted minority group of a neighbouring country? Bangladesh does not have any agenda or ulterior motive to support terrorism anywhere, in particular in Myanmar. We are successfully implementing our zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and violent extremism. In fact, the problem of the Rohingyas is an outcome of a multidimensional and multi-layered geopolitical construct, with its genesis in Myanmar. It is the result of the decades-long state practice of deprivation, disenfranchisement and atrocities.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“We thank you, Mr. President, for giving us the opportunity to deliver a statement to the Council. We appreciate in particular the efforts of nine Council members in organizing this briefing. We also thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar for her briefing. We appreciate the willingness of the international community, in particular the members of the Security Council, to resolve this protracted humanitarian and human rights crisis. At the same time, we cannot hesitate to express our frustration as nothing concrete has happened so far to convince us or the Rohingyas living in camps in Bangladesh that there will be an early resolution of the crisis, including the safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable return of the Rohingyas to their homeland.”
2019-02-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8477 (2019) · source
“Alleviating poverty, generating employment, providing essential services such as education, housing, medical care and clean drinking water, and, most importantly, promoting a shared stake in the progress and welfare of the country among the people - these are the most essential elements for peace and progress in Africa. A culture of peace cannot develop or prosper in a situation of despair and alienation. It requires a climate of hope and prospects for progress. The people of Africa deserve and await a brighter future as the world approaches the new millennium. The international community must not fail them.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“Developing respect for international humanitarian law and human rights is therefore essential for peace in the region. We note that there is a growing awareness of the need to uphold the universally recognized principles concerning respect for human life and dignity. More, however, needs to done to ensure strict adherence to international humanitarian norms by combatants in crisis situations, particularly for the protection of children, women, civilians and humanitarian workers. The international community must address the underlying the causes of conflict in Africa and elsewhere. Addressing only the symptoms and trying to put out fires after they have been lit is an unproductive and wasteful exercise.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“We will continue to enhance the scope of this programme in the years ahead, within the limits of our resources. On the issue of peacemaking in Africa, we note that important breakthroughs have been achieved this year in the search for negotiated solutions to the protracted internal conflicts in Sierra Leone and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as to the bilateral conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. We hope that the streamlining and strengthening of mediatory mechanisms, as well as the effective monitoring of illicit arms flows, will have positive effects on the efforts to promote stability and peace in Africa. In Africa and elsewhere, random or planned violence against weak and vulnerable sections of society goes unreported, unnoticed and unchecked unless it is on a such a large scale that it can no longer be ignored.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“Pakistan expresses its full solidarity with and support for the efforts of the African countries to find peaceful solutions to the conflicts in Africa, and also for their efforts for the economic and social development of their peoples. Pakistan looks upon Africa as a continent of the future. We are confident about the eventual rise of Africa. Relations with African countries are a priority area of our foreign policy. Despite our financial difficulties, Pakistan maintains diplomatic missions in a large number of African countries and has been running a multifaceted technical-assistance programme for Africa since the early 1980s. Under this programme, we are extending training facilities to young professionals from African countries in diverse fields.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“There is thus a major outflow of resources from the developing to the developed world. According to one account, for every dollar that comes into the developing countries, nine dollars are taken out of their economies. Thus, in some ways the developed economies are prospering at the expense of African and other developing countries. Finally, the resources of the United Nations development programmes are constantly decreasing, and available resources are not, at times, being put to optimum use. Africa is thus confronted with a hostile international economic climate in which exploitation of the weaker economies continues apace, notwithstanding protestations to the contrary, and in which conflicts are allowed to fester, since the international community averts its gaze and does not wish to accept responsibility.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“For most developing countries the mantras of the market economy - liberalization, deregulation and privatization - have worked to their detriment. They have not led to increased production or exports. Nor have they brought in foreign investment, which was expected to offset the decrease in official development assistance. Foreign investment is flowing to a limited number of countries only, and its benefits have been uneven and at times of dubious value. In some cases large sums of money belonging to the African countries have been siphoned off to the Western banks by the rapacious elite of these countries. In other cases multinational corporations destroy the nascent local industries, proceed to establish monopolies and take out much more money than they bring in.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“Foreign debt and debt- servicing in Africa have risen to alarming levels. Debt service eats up most of the revenues of indebted countries and forces them to resort to short-term borrowing at high rates of interest merely to service their old debts. At present the total debt of Africa stands at around $350 billion. The African countries cannot pay back this debt through indigenous resources. The commitment of the West to official development assistance is also eroding and aid flows are drying up, thus compounding the problems. The process of globalization has bypassed most countries of Africa and many other developing countries, which find themselves in a worse economic situation than ever before.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“Financial and technological support is urgently required to strengthen human resource development and to build and enlarge essential infrastructure for the socio-economic development of Africa. Unfortunately, the international response has, so far, fallen short of expectations. The world must do much more, and must do it now. We share the view expressed by the Secretary-General that the so- called "Africa fatigue" is an affront to the idea of a caring international community. Africa's poverty is exacerbated by constantly deteriorating terms of trade, falling commodity prices, increasing protectionism in developed countries, negative effects of structural adjustment arrangements, declining official development assistance and the pressures of debt servicing. Let us look at some facts.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“An abiding sense of injustice, exploited by those who are either motivated by idealism and outrage or seek wealth or power for themselves, engenders civil strife and political upheavals. We agree with the Secretary-General that conflict prevention and post-conflict peace-building cannot lead to durable peace unless a society can simultaneously move on the path of economic and social development. The international community must therefore concentrate its efforts on poverty eradication in Africa, which remains amongst the poorest regions in the world. Without the serious pursuit of the objective of sustainable development, the possibilities of achieving durable solutions to conflicts in Africa will remain elusive.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“The gravity of the situation is reflected in the fact that over 65 per cent of the issues currently under consideration by the Security Council relate to Africa. The causes of conflict in Africa are multifarious. Historical experiences, geographic conditions, stages of economic development, sets of public policies, patterns of internal and external interaction and ethnic tensions have influenced the dynamics of different conflicts in Africa. However, the overriding factor responsible for the problems has been, and continues to be, the pervasive poverty on the continent. Agonizing, gnawing, ever expanding poverty which engulfs Africa does not lend itself to wide media coverage and therefore does not engage the attention of the international community. Extremes of poverty, deprivation and desperation breed frustration and Violence.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“The debate to review progress in the international community's efforts in advancing peace and sustainable development in Africa is timely. It can be argued that the Security Council is ranging far afield of its mandate in discussing the issue of sustainable development in Africa, which was squarely in the ambit of the work of the General Assembly. However, since this is one of the most important subjects facing the international community today, Pakistan has decided to participate in the debate. Mr. Kofi Annan deserves our thanks and commendation for his pivotal role in highlighting the causes of conflict in Africa through a number of reports, as well as for his initiatives to address the dilemma of the "perpetual crisis" on the African continent.”
1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption3 (1999) · source
“Thus there is a need for a forum, comprising the entire membership of the United Nations, where all Member States can fully participate in such discussions. The Security Council may, therefore, consider requesting the General Assembly to undertake the task of inviting the views of Member States on the report itself and its recommendations, to conduct a comprehensive exchange of views on the issue, and, if necessary, to work towards the elucidation of a legal and internationally binding instrument regarding the protection of civilians in armed conflicts. Pending that, the Council may call for the scrupulous application of the considerable body of existing international law to protect civilians in armed conflict.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption2 (1999) · source
“The Secretary-General has encouraged the Council to take decisive action to address this critical issue and to promote a climate of compliance. In this context I would like to recall that during the last debate on this subject in the Security Council, in February 1999, a large number of countries pointed out that the report of the Secretary- General should not merely focus on the role of the Security Council, but should be comprehensive in nature, identifying the role of all concerned bodies and agencies. We believe that Member States should have the opportunity to thoroughly study and discuss this comprehensive and far-reaching report and its recommendations. We also feel that it is not possible for non-members of the Security Council to engage in an in-depth and interactive discussion of these recommendations in the Council itself.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption2 (1999) · source
“These include, to name only a few, proposals for the deployment of preventive peacekeeping operations; the need to establish working groups of the Security Council to address specific volatile situations; the establishment of a permanent technical review mechanism of the United Nations; and the imposition of verifiable arms embargoes to limit the ability of warring parties to wage war against one another and against civilians. These and the other recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary- General will be studied carefully by my Government. I would merely like to note here that at times one needs to stretch one's imagination considerably to find the tenuous linkage between some of the recommendations and the mandate of the Security Council.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption2 (1999) · source
“It is therefore our collective responsibility to ensure effective adherence to these international legal instruments. Violence against civilians is an unfortunate and unacceptable by-product of wars and armed conflicts. While recognizing the urgent need to address this issue, my delegation is of the view that it is necessary for the Security Council to address the causes of conflict, including the denial of the right to self-determination of people who are under foreign occupation and suffering oppression and massive violations of their human rights. The Council must work to redress these problems so that conflicts and the grievous consequences that flow from them may disappear. The Secretary-General has proposed a set of specific recommendations to pave the way for ensuring protection for civilians in armed conflict.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption2 (1999) · source
“The fact that civilian casualties account for almost 80 per cent of the total number of victims of armed conflict and that more than one million people die each year in various conflict areas around the world are extremely disturbing. It is also a painful reality that there are more than 30 million refugees in the world. Pakistan itself has carried the burden of millions of Afghan refugees on its soil for more than two decades and is only too keenly aware of the plight of people who are forced to leave their countries. We therefore condemn unequivocally the targeting of civilians in armed conflicts. Unfortunately, civilians are subjected to violence despite the existence of a substantial body of international law that has evolved over the years to protect civilians, refugees and humanitarian personnel.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption2 (1999) · source
“I would like to begin by expressing our appreciation to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. I am confident that today's debate will create greater awareness among Member States of the United Nations about the gravity and complexity of the problem and the need to address it on a priority basis. It is matter of grave concern for Pakistan and for the international community as a whole that violence against civilians in situations of armed conflict has reached dangerous proportions. In most cases this violence is directed against women, children and other vulnerable groups, including internally displaced persons. The statistics contained in the report of the Secretary-General are indeed staggering.”
1999-09-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4046Resumption2 (1999) · source
“It is only through the fair and just application of the principles of the Charter and the implementation of the resolutions of the Security Council on all such situations that we can enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the United Nations and of this body.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We are confident that the assessment of the situation on the ground by the Security Council team which is visiting the area at present will be extremely helpful in a comprehensive review by the Security Council. We therefore await the return of the team to New York and its report to the Council. The process of popular consultation in East Timor under United Nations auspices is a historic event. It can serve as an example for resolving similar problems in other parts of the world through ascertaining the wishes of the people. The international community cannot and must not allow this process to fail. States Members of the United Nations must honour their obligations under the Charter and comply with the resolutions of the Security Council.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We urge Indonesia to take the necessary steps towards the immediate restoration of law and order in East Timor and the security of the people of the territory as well as of United Nations personnel. We would also urge Indonesia to maintain full cooperation with the United Nations. We are confident that, should United Nations assistance be required, Indonesia will have no hesitation in accepting it. While we expect an immediate and visible improvement in the situation on the ground as a result of the measures taken by the Government of Indonesia, the Security Council must remain constantly seized of the matter. It must play its role as defined in the Charter. In doing so, the Council must objectively assess the situation based on authentic information.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Both Indonesia and the international community must respect the decision of the people. The Government of Indonesia has accepted the result of the popular consultation process, held under United Nations auspices, and has committed itself to fulfil its responsibilities in the post- consultation phase. We encourage the Government of Indonesia to honour its commitments. Pakistan is deeply concerned over the deterioration of law and order in East Timor after the completion of the consultation process. The reports of violence in Dili and in other parts of East Timor are extremely disturbing. We deeply regret the loss of human life as a result of the breakdown of law and order in East Timor. We note that the Government of Indonesia has committed itself to ensure the safety and security of the people.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The consultation process under the auspices of the United Nations has set an admirable precedent and adds to the prestige of the Security Council, the United Nations and that of Indonesia. It underscores the imperative of honouring United Nations resolutions by all Member States. There are other long-standing issues, regarding the right of people to self-determination and to determine their own future, which remain pending before the United Nations. One of these issues is that of Jammu and Kashmir, where the Security Council has adopted resolutions pledging the right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The Security Council must, we believe, exert itself for the implementation of those resolutions as well. The people of East Timor have given their verdict.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The right to self-determination is a sacrosanct right recognized in international law and by the United Nations. As such, the people and the Government of Pakistan consider the successful conclusion of the popular consultation process in East Timor as an epoch-making event. The referendum was made possible by the decision of the Government of Indonesia to allow the people of East Timor the right to freely express their Views about their future. We express our appreciation to the Government of Indonesia for its courageous decision. We also laud the Security Council; the Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan; and his Special Representative, Ambassador J amsheed Marker, for their role in making this historic event possible and for ensuring that the referendum was for the most part free from coercion, rigging or Violence.”
1999-09-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4043Resumption1 (1999) · source
“However, they cannot be given the status of Pakistanis by virtue of their having stayed in Pakistan as refugees. It is also not beyond the realm of possibility that some Pakistanis may have, on their own, slipped across our borders with Afghanistan. Surely Pakistan cannot be accused of being involved in the conflict on this untenable ground. The debate on Afghanistan comes at an opportune moment. We hope that the Security Council will continue to encourage the promotion of a durable and just peace in Afghanistan. Peace and stability will return to Afghanistan not through threats of sanctions and punitive measures, but through engagement, reconstruction of the devastated country, rehabilitation of the people and the establishment of a multi-ethnic government through the process of an intra-Afghan dialogue.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“In the wake of the recent outbreak of fighting in Afghanistan, it has been alleged that some Pakistani nationals have been participating in the fighting, which is cited as proof of Pakistan's involvement in the conflict. This is a false and malicious allegation, and Pakistan rejects it. It is possible and likely that because of the porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, young Afghan refugees may have returned to Afghanistan and may well be participating in the fighting in support of one group or the other. It cannot be expected of Pakistan to force Afghan refugees to stay on in Pakistan if they wish to return to Afghanistan voluntarily. Many of these refugees have been brought up in Pakistan over the last two decades and could well be mistaken for Pakistanis.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We favour neither the continuation of the conflict nor its impact on civilians and their voluntary or involuntary displacement. Having played host to millions of Afghan refugees for two decades, we are only too well aware and conscious of the plight of displaced persons. We also condemn terrorism by whomsoever committed in all its forms and manifestations. Having been subjected to State-sponsored terrorism from across our eastern border, we are only too conscious of the need to uproot this menace from the world. Pakistan, and I am sure the Council, does not need lessons in civilized behaviour from those who are inflicting the worst kind of oppression and State-sponsored terrorism on people under their illegal occupation.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Pakistan supports and fully subscribes to the decisions adopted by the "six plus two" group and believes that the group must continue and intensify its laudable efforts. The resumption of hostilities immediately after the meeting of the "six plus two" was indeed extremely unfortunate. We do not believe that the Afghan issue can be resolved through conflict. We are disappointed at the resumption of conflict because it was after great efforts on our part that the Taliban were persuaded to participate in the meeting despite their reservations. The Taliban take the position that the latest round of hostilities was started by the forces of Engineer Ahmad Shah Masoud, which rocketed the Kabul airport immediately after the meeting. Pakistan does not wish to enter into a futile argument on the issue of who fired the first shot.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Sanctions also would further impoverish the people of Afghanistan, but are unlikely to bring about any appreciable change in the political landscape of that country. It is through engagement and not isolation that the international community can hope and work to bring about peace in Afghanistan. It is therefore imperative that punitive measures be held in abeyance and efforts for peace be intensified. The recent meeting of the "six plus two" group was an important event. For the first time, the two main Afghan parties met with the group. The Tashkent meeting marked the beginning of a process which seeks to bring together the two major Afghan factions in the process of a dialogue.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Despite the fact that they control 90 per cent of the territory, including the capital, and have successfully restored law and order in the areas under their control, the international community and the United Nations continue to recognize another faction in Afghanistan as the legitimate Government. The Taliban would be right to wonder about the criteria by which international legitimacy and recognition are conferred by the United Nations. The Security Council should, in our view, give the Taliban an equal opportunity to be heard by the Council. We have heard of some moves for the imposition of sanctions by the Security Council against the Taliban. We firmly believe that sanctions would be counter-productive. They would give rise to the feeling of injustice and victimization, which could strengthen extremist sentiments.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Its agricultural sector is almost non-existent. We believe that programmes for reconstruction and rehabilitation will provide a powerful incentive for peace in Afghanistan, since the Afghan people will see for themselves the tangible benefits of peace and stability. Any policy of castigating, isolating or ostracizing one or more Afghan factions can only feed the flames of war in the volatile situation in Afghanistan. The international community must not be seen to be taking sides in the conflict. It is possible to argue that the Taliban believe that they are being unjustly treated by the international community.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The most glaring aspect of such interference is the supply of military equipment, which continues to stoke the fires of conflict in Afghanistan. We agree with China's proposal made in the Security Council today for an arms embargo on Afghanistan. We have also in the past proposed the imposition of a verifiable arms embargo applicable to the whole of Afghanistan. We believe that this proposal merits serious consideration by this body since this is the only way to limit the ability of the Afghan factions to wage war against each other. Such an embargo must also be accompanied by a comprehensive international programme for the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the rehabilitation of the refugees. Afghanistan has been totally ravaged by war. It has no infrastructure, roads, telecommunications or power.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“We know, however, that some countries in the neighbourhood and beyond are doing so by various means, including provision of defence experts, military equipment and even landmines, and for reasons which are apparent and well known to the international community. As such, I will not belabour them. Our advice to these countries also is to desist from such efforts since they would only prolong the agony of the Afghan people, without succeeding in advancing their own perceived interests. The international community must engage both Afghan sides and continue to encourage them to embrace peace through the establishment of a broad-based multi-ethnic Government in Afghanistan. In order to promote an intra-Afghan dialogue, it is imperative that all outside interference in Afghanistan must cease.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The international community is well aware that during the course of their history Afghans have never accepted domination by outsiders or foreign dispensations irrespective of the might or status of foreign Powers. This holds true even today. Pakistan understands this reality. It has no desire to interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. Nor does it harbour any illusions about its ability to control or change the course of events in Afghanistan. It would be folly for any country to seek to control the destiny of the Afghan people. Pakistan does net lend any support to any side in Afghanistan.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“The latest exercise was completed only a few days ago, when a delegation from Pakistan twice visited Tajikistan to meet with the representatives of Engineer Ahmad Shah Masoud and went to Kandahar to meet with the leader of the Taliban. I would, however, like to stress that our bilateral efforts to promote a peace process in Afghanistan are aimed at supplementing and not supplanting the efforts and the work of the United Nations, the OIC and the "six plus two" countries. Durable peace in Afghanistan is possible only on the basis of an intra-Afghan consensus. Any solution to the Afghan conflict must be indigenous. Afghan history is witness to the fact that external solutions cannot be imposed on the fiercely independent people of Afghanistan.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“To this end, Pakistan has fully supported the efforts of the United Nations, the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy - to whom we send our best wishes and prayers for his early return to health - as well as the initiatives of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Similarly, Pakistan has welcomed and is actively engaged in the "six plus two" process in the shared endeavour to bring normalcy to Afghanistan. In addition to our support to all international initiatives, we have also undertaken several rounds of shuttle diplomacy between the parties on either side of the Afghan divide in the hope of bridging their differences.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“This body is well aware of the major economic and social costs that Pakistan has had to bear in providing basic amenities such as housing, education, medical facilities, drinking water, infrastructure and so on to the Afghan refugees over the last few decades. The Council is aware also of the price that the people of Pakistan have paid and continue to pay in terms of the impact on the quality of their lives and on their personal security, the impact of drugs on the youth of Pakistan and a number of other factors. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan with its unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty fully intact is therefore in the highest national interest of Pakistan. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, is personally committed to finding a peaceful solution to the Afghan conflict.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source
“Pakistan has to cope with these realities. That is the fundamental difference between our situation and those of others, who, sitting at a distance, find it easy to tender advice or to level baseless, self-serving allegations against my country. The reality in Afghanistan also is that the Taliban controls 90 per cent of the territory, including the capital, Kabul. Pakistan and indeed the international community must recognize and live with this reality. There is no country in the world which stands to gain more than Pakistan from the return of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Continuing conflict and instability in Afghanistan impose a very heavy burden on Pakistan. Around 1.8 million Afghan refugees, the largest group of refugees in any country in the world, continue to stay on in Pakistan.”
1999-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4039Resumption1 (1999) · source