Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during his address to the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Thursday stressed that Pakistan "is not prepared to be anyone's scapegoat".
In what was his debut at the highest international diplomacy — after taking over the office last month following former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's ouster in July, earlier this year — Abbasi said Pakistan has been consistently active in the war against terrorism and that it has lost more to the cause than any other nation.
The premier in his 20-minute speech stated that while Daesh has been decimated in most Middle Eastern regions, including Yemen, the group's creeping global influence is evident through the recent events around the world.
Explore: Pakistan does not expect any significant shift in US policy: PM Abbasi
Abbasi mentioned to the attendees that the UN charter has over time been eroding slowly, with unresolved conflicts taking a much larger part of the headlines than before. He provided the examples of the rampant aggression in various regions of the world as well as the cold war in Europe.
PM Abbasi noted that the state-sponsored terrorism is an issue of considerable importance since foreign elements and safe havens across the border continuously stay engaged in disrupting the peaceful, democratic environment of Pakistan.
The prime minister emphasised on how "no one desires peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan"; however, he urged the world to understand that it "will not allow the Afghan war to be fought on its soil".
With regard to the Kashmir issue, Abbasi highlighted the persistent human rights violations carried out in the Occupied Kashmir (IoK) by the Indian forces that are a blatant breach of the Geneva Conventions.
Abbasi also underscored how the world is watching the ongoing mass genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, while no effective measure has been taken in that regard.
PM Abbasi's debut at UN
The PM's speech was scheduled to commence at 6 PM EDT (3 AM PST, Friday), it has been readjusted by approximately 45 minutes since some speakers prior to him took longer than the average 15-minute duration.
Abbasi is 12th in the list of speakers to address the UNGA.
The Premier arrived in New York on Monday to lead the country's delegation to the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly. He is expected to talk Pakistan's position on key international issues, including the Kashmir dispute.
Abbasi would also apprise the world body of the country's successes in the field of economics as well as its fight against terrorism and extremism.
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Before addressing the assembly, PM Abbasi met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
PM Abbasi has held key meetings with a number of world leaders during his stay in New York. These included calls on the United States Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, among others.
'Positive' meeting with President Trump
PM Abbasi also had a brief meeting with US President Donald Trump at a reception he hosted for the world leaders attending the UNGA’s 72nd session. He disclosed this at a luncheon meeting of the US-Pakistan Business Council on Wednesday.
The interaction with Trump took place after his 45-minute long meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence, during which the two talked bilateral issues and the Afghan situation.
"President Trump was very positive about Pakistan," Abbasi told the American businessmen and investors. He said he told Trump that Pakistan was committed to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Read more: PM Abbasi meets world leaders on sidelines of UNGA session
Abbasi later told the Council on Foreign Relations that "Pakistan wants to move forward and remain engaged with the United States".
The White House, in a statement issued earlier, said, "The Vice President and Prime Minister Abbasi had an important conversation about the President's South Asia strategy that was announced late last month."
As per the statement, the vice president reiterated Trump's belief that "Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort" in the region.
