YouSaid · the spoken record

Lodhi

lines on the record: 545
first: 2015-03-16
most recent: 2019-10-29
sittings or episodes: 79
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

“We agree with the observation in the concept note that the United Nations derives its legitimacy from its universal membership and comprehensive activities, while regional organizations, by their very nature, often have a better understanding of the situation on the ground. There is therefore great scope for cooperation between them. That is why Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations elaborates the role of regional arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security. Article 52 of the Charter not only urges Member States to "make every effort to achieve pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies before referring them to the Security Council", it also urges the Security Council to "encourage the...”
2016-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7796 (2016) · source
“The global refugee crisis, as we all know, has reached unprecedented levels. We believe that one ofthe tragic ironies of our age is that we are witnessing unprecedented human suffering at a time when spectacular advances in human progress are being made possible by the technological and scientific breakthroughs of our era. The United Nations remains an indispensable organization for facilitating these opportunities and addressing the complex challenges of our times. But it faces an imposing task in simultaneously dealing with all those challenges and opportunities. Enhanced cooperation with regional and subregional intergovernmental organizations could help the United Nations succeed.”
2016-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7796 (2016) · source
“I would like to thank the Russian presidency for organizing today's open debate on such an important issue. We also appreciate the thoughtful concept note shared by your delegation to inform the debate (S/2016/867, annex). Our multipolar world is more free and vibrant, yet more chaotic and turbulent. New and complex conflicts are emerging, while older and unresolved disputes continue to fester. The international order established after the Second World War is falling apart. But a new order has yet to emerge. At a time when confrontation has returned between the major Powers, traditional challenges have not diminished in scope or intensity. Poverty remains widespread. Violations of human rights are rampant. Situations of foreign occupation persist. Violent extremism and terrorism have assumed dangerous new forms.”
2016-10-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7796 (2016) · source
“We also believe that the Security Council should continue to address the issues of the women and peace and security, in accordance with its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. Any digression from that mandate, or proliferation of new mandates, runs the risk of undermining the consensus around the vital issue.”
2016-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7793 (2016) · source
“As host to the largest protracted refugee population in the world, Pakistan has allowed unhindered access by Afghan refugees, including women and girls, to free education and health care and has enabled them to secure employment. It is gratifying to note that the core skills acquired by our Afghan sisters in Pakistan are being used for the welfare of their homeland, Afghanistan. Pakistan firmly believes that the best way to promote and safeguard the interests of women in conflict situations is to address the root causes of those conflicts and address cross-cutting issues of governance. That would require synergy of efforts towards conflict prevention and resolution.”
2016-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7793 (2016) · source
“Women's special skills in mediation make them particularly suited as Special Envoys and Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, yet they have had very few such missions. That clearly needs to change. Pakistan fully supports the objectives of the women and peace and security agenda and has played an important role in advancing those goals as a major troop contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions. Pakistani women peacekeepers have served as police officers - brave police officers - and as doctors and nurses in missions in Asia, Africa and the Balkans. Gender sensitization is a mandatory part of training for our peacekeepers. My country stands ready to share our experience by conducting training programmes for women security officers so as to enhance their capacity to respond to crisis situations.”
2016-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7793 (2016) · source
“In our region we have seen thousands of women fall victim to brutal oppression; countless others have suffered rape and sexual abuse - the worst and the most traumatic form of violence. We agree with the Secretary-General that, despite the momentum for change, support must go beyond words. Renewed focus on the implementation of the common agenda is therefore crucial. That is key to overcoming operational gaps and challenges and to delivering on our promise of peace and security. As agents for peace, women also have a vital role to play in achieving sustainable development, because peace and development, as we all agree, are inextricably linked. The empowerment of women is therefore also essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including those on poverty eradication, health care, education and inclusive development.”
2016-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7793 (2016) · source
“Resolution 2242 (2015) reaffirmed our strong commitment to the normative framework that views women as a pivotal element of the conflict-resolution paradigm. We also welcome resolution 2250 (2015), on youth and peace and security, as an important complement and reinforcement of the women and peace and security agenda. Women across the world, from Columbia to Uganda to Burundi to Tunisia, have emerged as leaders and consensus-builders, thus inspiring hope of peace and prosperity amid conflict, chaos and violence. Yet millions of women and girls remain among the most vulnerable in situations of armed conflict. The perpetrators of crimes against women and girls include Da'esh and Boko Haram, as well as States that use sexual abuse as a weapon of war.”
2016-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7793 (2016) · source
“We are grateful to the Secretary-General for his insightful briefing and strong leadership in advancing the women and peace and security agenda. We also welcome the briefin made by the Executive Director of UN-Women and the important civil-society perspective that we were provided with this morning. The 2015 high-level review on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), mandated under resolution 2122 (2013), provided an important opportunity not only to reflect on the progress made towards the implementation of the resolution, but also to calibrate our collective ambition to promote our shared goal of strengthening the role of women in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, peacekeeping and transitional justice systems.”
2016-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7793 (2016) · source
“Finally, Pakistan has a vital stake in the solution of the multiple conflicts that afflict the Middle East today. We will work with sincerity and purpose to help in any effort to resolve such crises and re-establish peace and security in that central part of the Islamic world.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“Military success against Da'esh will also need to be accompanied by credible political measures to reconcile the ethnic and denominational differences within Iraq and the associated rivalries among regional Powers that have prevented the restoration of peace and stability in the country since the 2003 foreign intervention. The conflict in Yemen has also created devastating chaos and human suffering. The intensity and impact of that conflict has been exacerbated by external factors. The realization of peace in Yemen must be based on the restoration of international legitimacy and the reconciliation of the political, religious and tribal differences within the country. We hope that the ceasefire that is expected to go into effect in a few hours time will be a harbinger of mutual accommodation, leading to enduring change.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“Pakistan commends the patient and heroic efforts of Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura and urges all concerned parties, including the regional States and major Powers, to work together with the Special Envoy to untangle the vicious web of violence and suffering in Syria. In Iraq, a diverse coalition is finally imposing military reversals on Da'esh. It is hoped that it will soon be ejected from Mosul. The world welcomes the progressive demolition of the self-styled Islamic State. Its various terrorist manifestations within and outside the region will also have to be contained more vigorously.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“The Syrian conflict, epitomized today by Aleppo, has caused human suffering and a refugee crisis on a scale that is unprecedented since the end of the Second World War. Syria's domestic divisions are now inextricably intertwined with the complex and competing interests and alliances of regional and major Powers. The challenge the world confronts in Syria is multifaceted. That challenge is to defeat Da'esh and other terrorist organizations; to restore the rights of all of Syria's people, minorities and majorities, while preserving the country's territorial integrity; and to ensure that the sources of terrorism and violence in Syria do not spread to its neighbours and beyond.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“The Council must categorically reject and condemn Israeli moves to create a fait accompli to defeat the two-State solution. Indeed, the occupying Power should recognize that its political identity would not survive in a one-State alternative. It would only reinforce its character as an apartheid State. Pakistan remains committed to supporting the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle for their right to self-determination and statehood. We firmly believe that the creation of an independent, contiguous and viable State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, is an essential prerequisite to sustainable peace in the Middle East. The grim situation in Syria represents the sum of our tragedies: foreign interference, State repression, terrorism, and ethnic and religious divisions.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“With every new settlement plan the Israeli Government is systematically sabotaging the possibility of the two- State solution - the only viable option for durable peace and one that has been accepted by the parties, as well as by the international community. But impunity is not limited just to settlements. As Amnesty International pointed out last month, there is also no accountability for extrajudicial killings by occupation forces. We appreciate last week's Security Council meeting in the Arria Formula format on the issue of Israeli settlements. Yet what is needed now is to follow up the talk with action. The inability of the Council and major Powers to halt the expansion of Israeli settlements and enforce the two-State solution has encouraged the Israeli leadership to entrench its obduracy and intransigence.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“It will be difficult to resolve the series of conflicts and crises afflicting the Middle East and to reverse the rise of terrorism and extremism unless a just and durable solution is found to the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Holy Land. The brutal and prolonged occupation of Palestine and the denial of self-determination and statehood for the Palestinian people is the epicentre and a key source of the conflicts that now consume the entire region. The violence within the Israeli occupied territories will not remain insulated from the conflict raging across Israel's imposed frontiers. Pakistan rejects the recently announced Israeli plan to construct 300 new settlement units in the West Bank.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“We thank the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process for his briefing. As that briefing underlined, the response of the international community has not matched the urgency of addressing the grave situation created by the growing violence in the region. The tide of turmoil and conflict, far from receding, has been rising with even greater force and unpredictability. As a consequence, millions of people are having to endure unimaginable suffering, caught up in a vortex of violence now largely being driven by the divergent interests and priorities of embattled Governments and regional and external Powers.”
2016-10-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7792 (2016) · source
“Pakistan has offered unprecedented hospitality and support to the Afghan people over the past several decades of their travail and tragedy provoked by foreign military interventions. We have delayed sending back Afghan refugees yet again. We allow the transit of Afghan goods through our ports and over our roads. We also have displayed extreme forebearance in the face of unwarranted accusations from certain quarters in Kabul. We urge the Afghan Government to halt its belligerent rhetoric. That is in the long-term interests of its country and its people, as well as of the entire region. We stand committed to work with the Afghan Government for the improvement of this relationship on the basis of shared interests and values, and for the mutual benefit of our two peoples.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“Ifthe Afghan seeks an end to such cross-border terrorism, it should support such fencing and strict controls at the international border. We will work with the Afghan Government through the recently constituted high-level consultation mechanism to address border and other concerns. The path to peace in Afghanistan is arduous but achievable. However, it is up to the Afghan parties themselves to acknowledge that there is no alternative path to peace other than through unconditional dialogue and making necessary, although difficult, compromises to arrive at a negotiated settlement. The people of Afghanistan deserve no less. The peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan enjoy age-old bonds of kinship, faith and a shared history.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“My country has paid an onerous price for almost four decades of strife and conflict in Afghanistan. Pakistan continues to play host to the largest protracted presence of refugees anywhere in the world. Apart from Afghanistan itself, it is Pakistan that stands to gain the most from the restoration of peace across our western border. Pakistan's counter-terrorism campaign - the largest and most effective in the world, deploying a 180,000-strong force - has turned the tide of terrorism in the country. Unfortunately, though, we continue to encounter threats from TTP elements and its backers from across the border. We call upon Kabul to ensure that its territory is not used by anyone to foment terrorism in Pakistan. To prevent cross-border attacks, Pakistan will fence extended parts of the border.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“But that requires efforts by all four members of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group on the Afghan Peace and Reconciliation Process - namely, Afghanistan, the United States, China and Pakistan. This mechanism remains an important vehicle to assist an Aghan-led and owned peace process. Both sides are now threatened by the rise of Da'esh in Afghanistan. Several elements of what is known as the Pakastani Taliban - or the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - have declared their allegiance or integration with Da'esh. It is therefore strange that some of TTP elements, allied with Da'esh, continue to enjoy the backing of Aghanistan's intelligence agency. Unless peace is restored in Afghanistan, it risks emerging again as a central source of global terrorism.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“Fifteen years of war waged by the the world's most powerful forces could not yield a military solution; a military solution is even more unlikely now. Nor should anyone expect that Pakistan will fight Afghanistan's war on its soil. Unfortunately, the Afghan parties themselves appear to have moved away from the international consensus that peace can be achieved only through negotiations. Neither side appears willing to talk, except on their own terms. Meanwhile, new actors are being introduced into the conflict. A dialogue between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban remains the only way to end Afghanistan's long night of suffering. Pakistan is willing to help in reviving the dialogue, as we did in June 2015, at President Ashraf Ghani's request.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“Pakistan will continue to support international efforts for the stability and economic development of Afghanistan. But external support, although critical, cannot be a substitute for internal political stability. Among other factors, that is contingent upon the successful implementation of reforms by the Afghan Government and the active promotion of peace and reconciliation. The security situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate with the escalation in violence and a significant increase in civilian casualties. That is a cause of great concern not just for Afghanistan's neighbours, but also for the entire international community. The international community is unanimous in its view that sustainable peace is achievable only through a negotiated end to the war.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“We thank the Secretary- General for his report (S/2016/768) and congratulate Special Representative Yamamoto on his appointment. The report of the Secretary-General paints a bleak and troubling picture of the security, political and economic situation in Afghanistan. We support the Secretary-General's call on the Afghan leadership to demonstrate a spirit of cooperation to achieve a meaningful agreement on the path forward for the benefit of the Afghan people. The unity of the Afghan Government is imperative in order for it to effectively address the multiple challenges that it faces. The upcoming Conference in Brussels will be another opportunity for the international community to signal its sustained support to peace and development in Afghanistan.”
2016-09-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7771 (2016) · source
“Our ratification of the 2005 amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and our declared adherence to NSG guidelines are among the recent steps that we have taken. Under resolution 1540 (2004), we have submitted four national implementation reports. We have also declared a unilateral moratorium on further nuclear testing and have reiterated our willingness to translate that unilateral moratorium into a bilateral arrangement on non-testing with India. Those credentials, among others, clearly establish my country's eligibility to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. We expect that a non-discriminatory, criteria-based approach will be followed in the extension of NSG membership.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“Also, obligations under the resolution should not be interpreted in a manner that impinges upon the responsibilities of the International Atomic Energy Agency or of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Let me turn briefly to what my country has done to implement resolution 1540 (2004) and to fulfil its non-proliferation obligations in general. Pakistan has elaborated and implemented a comprehensive export- control regime, fully harmonized with those of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Australia Group. Exemplary measures have been taken to strengthen nuclear safety and security. We have also actively participated in the Nuclear Security Summit process.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“It is of paramount importance that the voluntary nature of visits to States and national action plans, as envisaged in resolution 1977 (2011), be preserved. In order to ensure that the comprehensive review helps Members States better manage challenges with regard to the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), its final product needs to be realistic, generally acceptable and practical. It should take into account the existing provisions ofresolution 1540 (2004). To change the focus of the resolution from a preventive mechanism, aimed at thwarting access by non-State actors to WMDs, to an instrument with a mandate for which it is ill-equipped would be an error.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“We also recognize the importance of staying one step ahead of non-State actors that seek access to WMDs. Some ofthe suggested solutions, such as making radical changes in the regime established by resolution 1540 (2004), could, however, take us farther away rather than closer to our shared objective of addressing proliferation challenges. Letus take the example ofthe submission ofnational reports. As of April, 17 States had not yet submitted even one report. Then there are others, including my own country, that have submitted several. Rather than casting aspersions on the intentions of States that could not report, we need to understand their shortcomings and assist them. Creating additional reporting obligations would only add to reporting fatigue, without any real impact on achieving universal reporting.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“Resolution 1540 (2004) has made useful contributions to the advancement of non-proliferation goals. The success of the resolution owes less to its use of Chapter VII provisions of the Charter of the United Nations than to the cooperative approach that it has engendered to promote its implementation. We are cognizant of the fact that the challenges in addressing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), their means ofdelivery and related materials are imposing. Differences in State capacities, such as gaps in legal and regulatory frameworks, the lack of effective export-control mechanisms, border management capacities and the lack of human and technological resources for effective implementation, all compound the difficulties.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“A key challenge to long-held non-proliferation norms and rules is the granting of discriminatory waivers to some and the making of exceptions out of power or profit considerations. Granting such waivers carries obvious proliferation risks. Those special arrangements are not only discriminatory and denote nuclear double standards but also open up possibilities for the diversion of material intended for peaceful uses to military purposes. They contravene non-proliferation rules and also undermine regional strategic stability. We should not forget that the fulfilment of non-proliferation objectives is a shared responsibility, and we are only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Improved matchmaking by the Committee, thereby making it more responsive to requests for assistance from States, is therefore imperative.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“I thank you, Sir, for convening today's open debate, which is timely, as it coincides with the ongoing process of a comprehensive review of the mechanism under resolution 1540 (2004). That process should benefit from the views of the broader membership. We hope that the diverse views expressed by Member States during the formal open consultations held by Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) will be taken on board. The global disarmament landscape presents a gloomy picture. The principal reason for that is the lack of progress made by the nuclear-weapon States in the fulfilment of their legal nuclear disarmament obligations. That has negatively impacted on the non-proliferation regime. Disarmament and non-proliferation are inextricably linked. It is unrealistic to expect progress on one without movement on the other.”
2016-08-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7758 (2016) · source
“Sixth, regarding the working of the Council's subsidiary bodies, Pakistan calls for transparent processes leading to balanced representation on the Council's expert panels. Seventh, and lastly, ensuring the independence of the Office of the Ombudsperson is of vital importance to address concerns on due process in the sanctions Committees. There is also no justification for limiting the scope of the Ombudsperson to just one sanctions Committee. Before concluding, let me express my appreciation for the practice adopted today of commencing work on an important issue only after listening to the views of the wider membership rather than concluding work before giving an opportunity to non-Council members to express themselves. The Council, according to the Charter, is obliged to act on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations.”
2016-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7740 (2016) · source
“Such involvement will address many issues related to command, control, communication, coordination and inter-mission movements. Such consultations will also help to sync peacekeeping missions with the realities on the ground. Fifth, the implementation of presidential note S/2013/630 is particularly important for the Council's management and operation of peacekeeping missions. In this regard, it is imperative to know how the major TCCs view the implementation ofthis note. As a leading troop-contributing country, Pakistan believes that much needs to be done to ensure deeper and more meaningful consultations on all aspects ofpeacekeeping. The Chair of the Informal Working Group may wish to collate the views of all TCCs speaking today to assess the stakeholders' perception in this regard.”
2016-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7740 (2016) · source
“Second, it is important for the Council to implement its presidential note S/2014/565, in letter and in spirit. That note was the culmination of Pakistan's initiative, when it was a Council member in 2013, to improve intra-Council communication and exchange of information. It is important to hear the views of the current non-permanent members regarding implementation of the note. Third, Pakistan would appreciate an assessment of the implementation of presidential note S/2014/268. An objective evaluation of the fulfilment of the commitments made in the note is important to ensure the wider participation of Council members in delivering on the Council's responsibilities. Fourth, troop- and police-contributing countries (TCCs) must be closely consulted before the formulation and approval of peacekeeping mandates.”
2016-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7740 (2016) · source
“We are hopeful that, with the cooperation of all Council members, the Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Matters will continue to endeavour to improve the Council's working methods, thereby contributing positively to the Council's openness, transparency and accountability. Pakistan endorses the recommendations to be made by the representative of Iran on behalf of NAM to improve the Security Council's working methods. Furthermore, and in deference to your request for succinct suggestions today, Sir, Pakistan would like to offer the following. First, dialogue with the wider United Nations membership is critical. After all, Member States not serving on the Council have high stakes in the Council's decisions.”
2016-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7740 (2016) · source
“My delegation wants to express its gratitude to you, Sir, for organizing today's important debate. My delegation aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the representative of Iran on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries (NAM). Pakistan welcomes the gradual improvements in the Security Council's working methods, especially since 2006. Those improvements have in particular been the result of efforts by the non-permanent members of the Security Council. In that connection, the early election of non-permanent members this year was a positive step. We believe that that will help non-permanent members play a more robust and effective role during their tenure in the Council.”
2016-07-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7740 (2016) · source
“The restoration of peace through political reconciliation and respect for international law is in the vital interest of the people of Yemen, all of its neighbours and the international community. My country supports all genuine efforts to this end. The lesson of history - indeed, of recent history - is that protracted conflicts can be resolved. The recent example of Colombia is an inspiring case in point. What is needed is firm resolve, concerted action and, above all, strong political will to build lasting peace.”
2016-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7736 (2016) · source
“We commend the efforts of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy and encourage his endeavour to secure a cessation of hostilities that would enable the casing of humanitarian suffering and the evolution of political structures for a transition to peace. The regional and major Powers have a heavy responsibility to evolve a viable and agreed plan to realize these objectives. Yemen, too, has been in the throes ofa war whose origins were internal but which has been exacerbated by the external armament and encouragement of certain groups. It has not been easy to restore legitimacy, reconciliation and peace in Yemen. It is terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida and ISIS, that have exploited the war to secure a more prominent presence in Yemen.”
2016-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7736 (2016) · source
“As it retreats on the battlefield, ISIS has shifted strategy to undertaking terrorist attacks on civilian and security targets within and outside the region. Pakistan condemns the brutal terrorist attacks that have killed so many innocent people in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. To defeat ISIS, it is essential first for the States bordering Syria and Iraq and the external Powers that have become involved in these conflicts to reconcile their own divergent objectives and priorities and evolve agreed measures to overcome the political, religious and ethnic divisions within those suffering countries. Only then will it be possible for all the concerned parties to concentrate their efforts to defeat ISIS and the threat it poses to regional and international peace and security.”
2016-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7736 (2016) · source
“Iraq's tragedy has been joined by that of the people of Syria, with hundreds of thousands killed in a brutal and complex war and millions displaced internally or externally as refugees in neighbouring countries, or flowing in great masses, often with tragic consequences, to the ostensibly safe borders of Europe. In both Iraq and Syria, ISIS has emerged as a principal adversary. The brutal brand of its ideology and reign of terror must be defeated. Welcome advances have been made on the ground in facing that monstrous movement. Pakistan supports the steps being pursued by the international community to roll back ISIS from its strongholds and restore peace over the large tracts of Syria and Iraq that it continues to occupy.”
2016-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7736 (2016) · source
“Conditions in the West Bank continue to become more chaotic and more violent. The international community cannot continue to shirk its responsibility to promote a just solution to the problem. The Security Council cannot continue to avoid its obligations under resolution 242 (1967) and its successors to enforce ajust solution to the conflict, which is at the core of the challenges that confront the Middle East today. Even as the world has failed to resolve the Israeli- Palestinian problem, violence and war have spread to engulf all of the Middle East region and beyond. The violence and suffering of the Iraqi people began under a cruel dictatorship, escalated during external intervention and persists today in a grinding fight against terrorism and sectarian violence.”
2016-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7736 (2016) · source
“The report of the Middle East Quartet reflects the fact that the most serious impediment to a solution is the continued illegal construction of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land. After the report was issued a week ago, Israel announced the building of 560 additional housing units in the West Bank settlement. Unless Israel's illegal settlements are halted and reversed, it will be impossible to create a Palestinian State that is contiguous or viable. While creating those unilateral facts on the ground, the present Israeli Government has obfuscated on the revival of the peace process, posing conditions that no Palestinian leadership, no matter how accommodating, could be expected to accept. Meanwhile, the oppressive occupation of the Palestinians continues. Protests evoke brutal responses. Gaza remains a virtual prison.”
2016-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7736 (2016) · source
“It is a pleasure to participate in this debate, Mr. President, under your eminent leadership of the Security Council. We thank the Secretary-General for his frank and revealing briefing. It honestly portrays the grim picture of the vortex of violence that is the Middle East today. Conflict and chaos have been endemic in the enduring Arab- Israeli dispute. Palestine's suffering is epic. It is our conviction that enduring peace in the Middle East cannot be restored until there is a just resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute. The basic prerequisite for a just solution is the creation of an independent, contiguous and viable State of Palestine, based on the pre-l967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Unfortunately, that appears to be a more distant prospect than at any recent time.”
2016-07-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7736 (2016) · source
“Success will be assured only when the Afghan parties themselves come to the conclusion that there is no military solution to the Afghan war and that peace can be achieved only through a non-conditional dialogue that will require difficult compromises on both sides.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“Finally, Pakistan remains ready to support a genuine Afghan peace process, but we will not tolerate violations of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity from any source. Those who seek a renewed recourse to military solution need to rethink the consequences of their position. Further, we would urge the Government of Afghanistan not to externalize its internal problems and blame others for its own failures and omissions. The Quadrilateral Coordination Group remains a viable mechanism to promote a genuine peace process, but that process will have to be pursued with patience and perseverance.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“Pakistan will take measures on its side of the border accordingly. It is disingenuous to characterize steps aimed at regulating the border and curbing the flow of immigrants as illegal. There is nothing - I repeat, nothing - illegal about any construction on our side of the border. Thirdly, we have the related problem posed by the 3 million Afghani refugees who remain on my country's soil after 35 years. Our hospitality and challenges in hosting the most protracted presence of refugees anywhere in the world needs to be, at the very least, appreciated and supported by the international community. But we also expect that tangible steps will be taken for the early return of refugees to their homeland with honour and dignity.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“Our Operation will continue until our objectives have been accomplished; those objectives will not be fully met until the sanctuaries and safe havens of terrorists who have fled to Afghanistan have been eliminated. We urge the Government in Kabul and the international coalition there to take action against the militant Tehrik-i-Taliban elements that have sought refuge in Afghanistan. Secondly, it is self-evident that effective border control and management are vital to preventing the move of militants across the 270-kilometre Pakistan- Afghan border. Pakistan proposed a number of border standard operating procedures to Afghanistan two years ago; they still await finalization, as does Pakistan's proposal to establish a joint border commission. Effective border management is a sovereign right of my country.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“Continued resort to military means will further destabilize the situation in our neighbour and in our region. Pakistan would advise against such a strategy. Other than Afghanistan, over the past 35 years Pakistan has suffered more than any other country as a result of foreign intervention, conflict and terrorism within Afghanistan. Several thousand Pakistani civilians and security personnel have died at the hands of terrorists. Let me make it clear what Pakistan's policies and priorities are. First and foremost, we will eliminate all terrorist threats within Pakistan. Pakistan's Operation Zarb-e-Azb is the largest and most effective anti-terrorist campaign anywhere in the world, involving over 180,000 members of our security forces. In two years, that Operation has made substantial gains in cleansing our country of terrorism.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“Is it an accident that, in less than a year, the possibility for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan has been scuttled? The United States drone strike on our territory was a blatant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity and a blatant breach of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law. That unacceptable action also dealt a blow to the Afghan peace process and added to the intensity and complexity of the Afghan conflict. It has raised serious questions. Does the international community desire a negotiated or a military solution in Afghanistan? Is it ready to invest in war rather than peace in Afghanistan? The use of force for the past 15 years has failed to stabilize Afghanistan.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source
“Another period of concerted efforts led to the establishment of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group in December 2015 in Islamabad, by which Afghanistan, the United States, China and Pakistan undertook to join together to provide decisive impetus to Afghanistan's peace efforts. The international community welcomed that development. The Group held five meetings in which a road map for a peace process was drawn up. In its meeting of 18 May, the Group agreed that a negotiated settlement was the most viable option. Efforts by Pakistan and others were under way for the early resumption of the peace talks. Despite posturing by both Afghan parties, a revived dialogue seemed to be within reach. That process was destroyed by the United States drone attack of 21 May, which killed the Taliban leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor.”
2016-06-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7722 (2016) · source