Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif delivered a powerful speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly session in New York, outlining Pakistan’s positions on regional peace, counter-terrorism, climate change, and global justice.
He used his address on Friday to urge peace with India, call for urgent climate action, and reaffirm support for Palestine and Kashmir.
The prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s sacrifices in fighting terrorism, warned over the Indus Waters Treaty, and praised US President Donald Trump’s role in mediation to end the war.
Below are the ten key takeaways from his address:
1. Pakistan seeks peace after repelling Indian aggression
“We have won the war, and now we seek to win peace in our part of the world, and this is my most sincere and serious offer before this assembly of the world nations.”
2. Readiness for dialogue with India
“Pakistan stands ready for a composite, comprehensive, and result-oriented dialogue with Indian on all outstanding issues.”
3. Warning on Indus Waters Treaty violations
“Pakistan has made it abundantly clear and led there be no doubt once again in anybody’s mind, as I said last year in this hall from this podium, we will definitely defend the inseparable right of our 240 million people on these waters.”
4. Assurance of support to Kashmiris
“Through this house, I wish to assure the Kashmiris that I stand with them, the people of Pakistan stand with them, and one day soon India’s tyranny in Kashmir will come to a grinding halt, Kashmir will gain its fundamental right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite under the auspices of this very organisation, the UN.”
5. Trump credited for ceasefire role
“Trump’s efforts for peace helped avert a more threatening war in South Asia. Had he not intervened timely and decisively, the consequences of a full-fledged war would have been catastrophic.”
6. Nomination of Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
“Who would have lived to tell what happened? And therefore, in recognition of Trump’s wonderful and outstanding contribution to promoting peace in our part of the world, Pakistan nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. I think this is the least we can do for his love of peace — truly, he is a man of peace.”
7. Gaza described as facing ‘unspeakable terror’
“In blind pursuit of its nefarious goals, the Israeli leadership has unleashed a shameful campaign against innocent Palestinians which history will always remember as one of its darkest chapters.”
8. Support for Palestinian statehood reaffirmed
“Pakistan firmly supports the demand of the Palestinian people for the establishment of a sovereign state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Sharif as its capital. Palestine can no longer remain under Israeli shackles; it must be liberated and liberated with full commitment and force.”
9. Pakistan’s sacrifices in counter-terrorism highlighted
“Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. For over two decades, Pakistan has been at the front line of global counter-terrorism efforts.”
10. Urgent climate action demanded
“While we are confronted with a climate crisis, it demands the most urgent collective action. Pakistan, on the contrary, contributes less than 1% of global emissions annually. Yet, it continues to face the relentless brunt and muddy waves of climate change, and then we are told to get loans and add to our huge debt — the pillars we have built over time. This is not fairness, this is not equality, this is not justice, this is not fair play.”
