PM Shehbaz Sharif meets UN Secretary-General in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has praised UN Secretary-General António Guterres for his commitment to the UN Charter, multilateralism, international law and peaceful resolution of disputes during their meeting in Islamabad.

The prime minister welcomed the UN80 Initiative and stressed that reforms of the United Nations should address the priorities of developing countries while strengthening conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued contribution to UN peacekeeping missions.

PM Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation, including its mediation role between the United States and Iran.

He said dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable means of resolving disputes and preventing further escalation.

The prime minister also maintained that the Indus Waters Treaty was a binding international agreement and that India’s unilateral decision to place it in abeyance had no legal basis.

Discussing Afghanistan, Shehbaz said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan remained in Pakistan’s interest, while expressing concern over terrorism emanating from Afghan soil.

He called for concrete and verifiable action against terrorist groups and also stressed the need for affordable financing for developing countries to support development and climate resilience.