I would like first to
congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to
your prestigious office. Your vast political experience
and diplomatic skills will undoubtedly guide the
General Assembly towards success in dealing with its
important agenda. I wish to express our deep
satisfaction and pride at the significant achievements
of your predecessor, Her Excellency Sheikha Haya
Rashed Al-Khalifa, during her presidency. Her stature
and accomplishments symbolize the prominent role
that women are playing in the Muslim world.
Let me also express our high appreciation to
Mr. Ban Ki-moon for the distinctive and assiduous
manner in which, as our new Secretary-General, he has
engaged himself to address crises and humanitarian
situations. We support the Secretary-General’s
commitment to improving the United Nations so that it
can respond to contemporary challenges and
opportunities.
The end of the cold war at the dawn of the
twenty-first century gave rise to hopes for a better
future. A decade later, the world is in the grip of
deepening uncertainty and rising turbulence. There are
new threats of terrorism, violence and widening
divisions among cultures and societies, driven by
suspicion and prejudice. At the heart of that growing
malaise is not a clash of values or civilizations; it is the
failure of the international community to address
festering disputes and our collective inability to
universalize the opportunities and benefits offered by
the phenomenal advances of technology and
globalization for the betterment of all peoples.
Conflicts continue in Palestine, Iraq and
Afghanistan. In South Asia, the Kashmir dispute is yet
to be resolved. Old disputes are compounded by new
confrontations. Also, serious challenges are emerging
in the shape of climate change, energy security, and
financial and trade imbalances.
In this complex world, the United Nations
provides a critical and indispensable role. The United
Nations is at the apex of expanding international
interaction and remains the only acknowledged
instrument for regulating global affairs on the basis of
agreed principles and norms.
Terrorism is a grave and pervasive threat.
Terrorism destabilizes societies. It must not be
associated with any faith or culture. It must be
countered and rejected, addressing both its
manifestations and its root causes.
Equally disturbing are trends to malign other
cultures and faiths and reinforce divisions, especially
between the West and the Islamic world. Tolerating
Islamophobia in the guise of freedom of expression is
dangerous. More than ever before, in this globalized
world we need understanding, harmony and the
building of bridges among all cultures and peoples
through such initiatives as the Alliance of
Civilizations, interfaith dialogue and enlightened
moderation.
Conflict and violence in the Middle East are
fundamentally linked to the Palestinian issue that has
agitated two generations of Palestinians and Muslims
around the world. Essentially, Palestine is an issue of
freedom. Security cannot be ensured by denying the
Palestinians their freedom. Salvation lies in what the
Arab nations proposed in Beirut five years ago.
Pakistan supports that position. The world has a
historical responsibility to end the tragedy of the
Palestinian people by enabling them to establish their
own State in Palestine, consistent with Security
Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the
Arab peace plan. Israel must also withdraw from the
other occupied Arab territories and fully respect the
territorial and sovereign integrity of Lebanon. Efforts
that deflect from those basic imperatives will only
prolong agony and turmoil in the region.
Pakistan is deeply concerned over the grave
situation in Iraq. We deplore the internecine bloodshed.
Peace in Iraq can emerge only through dialogue,
mutual cooperation and tolerance. It is vital both for
the Iraqi people and for the region to ensure the
preservation of the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq
and full respect for its sovereignty.
Pakistan is also disturbed by the ominous
confrontation over Iran’s nuclear issue. We have
insisted on recourse to diplomacy because resort to the
use of force could lead to incalculable consequences
for that already inflamed and highly sensitive region.
In our region, violence and the rise of terrorism
and extremism are due to the developments of the
nearly three decades when neighbouring Afghanistan
became the last front of the cold war. Ironically, in the
1980s the struggle in Afghanistan helped the
consolidation of freedom movements that culminated
in the surge of freedom signified by the fall of the
Berlin wall. In the 1990s, however, Afghanistan
suffered international neglect and indifference until the
shock and horror of 9/11 refocused international
attention on that war-ravaged country.
The unfortunate happenings in our
neighbourhood impacted on our own society, giving
rise to terrorism and extremism, especially in the tribal
regions bordering Afghanistan. We are fighting
Al-Qaida and other terrorist elements with resolve and
determination. We have deployed nearly 100,000
troops for that purpose. A large number of our troops
have sacrificed their lives. In the tribal regions, we
have taken political and administrative measures and
have plans to bring about socio-economic
transformation. As part of a comprehensive strategy,
we have introduced reforms to counter extremism.
We are cooperating internationally and reject
irresponsible comments and insinuations, especially in
certain sections of the international media, casting
aspersions on our intentions and efforts. It must be
appreciated that the challenge is enormous and requires
a sustained and protracted endeavour both locally and
at the international level.
Pakistan desires a peaceful environment in the
region. No country stands to gain as much as Pakistan
from peace and stability in Afghanistan. We therefore
support every initiative that could help the Afghans to
achieve national reconciliation and to rebuild their
country. The recently convened Grand Jirga in Kabul
offers hope. A great deal will depend on the
effectiveness of the follow-up mechanisms, especially
the 50-member joint council that is mandated to reach
out to the opposition to promote peace in the area. The
international community also has an important
responsibility to help Afghanistan with a Marshall
Plan-like programme for reconstruction.
Pakistan is engaged in a peace process with India
that has led to significant improvement in bilateral
relations. The two countries must now seize the
opportunity provided by the propitious international
and regional environment to address problems,
especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has
been at the heart of conflict and tension in South Asia.
Both sides will have to demonstrate political will,
courage and flexibility. We are pursuing a solution that
would be acceptable to India, to Pakistan and, above
all, to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
President Pervez Musharraf has offered important
ideas that have resonated with the Kashmiri people,
who must be involved in the process. At the same time,
it is essential to create an environment free of human
rights violations in Kashmir if there is to be a
sustainable peaceful solution. A peaceful settlement
responding to the aspirations of the Kashmiri people
will usher in a new era of mutual trust and cooperation
in South Asia.
In our region, the incipient United States-India
nuclear deal injects a new element. We have concerns
over strategic stability, which we will maintain despite
our firm opposition to an arms race in South Asia.
Moreover, we also have a strong interest in developing
civil nuclear power generation under international
safeguards. Our nuclear and strategic assets are solely
for defensive purpose. We started pursuing the nuclear
option only after 1974, when the strategic balance was
disrupted by the first Indian nuclear test. Our initiatives
to keep South Asia free of nuclear weapons received
scant response internationally. In 1998, we were again
faced with a dilemma and had to respond to the Indian
tests to establish deterrence. Our failure to do so would
have created a dangerous ambiguity about our
capability, with the risk of miscalculation.
I wish to reaffirm that our strategic capability is
solely for deterrence and defence. We are opposed to
an arms race and want to maintain minimum credible
deterrence. We will not be the first to test in our region.
We will never use our nuclear capability against
non-nuclear weapon States. We remain fully committed
to the objective of general and complete disarmament
and nuclear non-proliferation. We want to be treated as
a partner rather than as a target of the global nuclear
non-proliferation regime. We are committed to
developing nuclear power generation under
international safeguards to meet our growing energy
needs.
It is evident that global consensus on
disarmament and non-proliferation has been seriously
eroded. There are several reasons for that, including
the disavowal of nuclear disarmament by the nuclear-
weapon States signatories to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT); the
emergence of de facto nuclear-weapon States not
parties to the NPT; the failure to address the security
concerns of non-nuclear-weapon States; and
discrimination in the conduct of peaceful nuclear
cooperation. There is an obvious need for a new and
universal consensus on non-proliferation, disarmament
and peaceful nuclear cooperation that eliminates
dangers and risks and establishes cooperation on an
equitable basis. In the coming months, the Nuclear
Suppliers Group States have a heavy responsibility, as
any endorsement of a selective or discriminatory
approach could fatefully damage the existing
consensus on disarmament and non-proliferation.
The world is slowly recognizing the existential
threat posed by climate change. The special event held
on 24 September has been useful in crystallizing the
issues that must be addressed. Environment is a
responsibility and an opportunity. The responsibility is
to heal the Earth, which is scarred and degraded. The
challenge goes far beyond Kyoto. Collectively, we
need to restrain our avaricious and extravagant living.
Opportunity lies in developing the environment as an
employment sector to absorb a part of world human
resources in meaningful activity. We must realize that
with technological advances it will no longer be
feasible to rationally utilize the entire global work
force in the production, manufacturing and service
sectors.
Against the backdrop of the new challenges, large
parts of humanity continue to suffer from hunger,
poverty and disease. That is tragic in these modern
times, where the miracle of technology has empowered
the world to effectively overcome the vestiges of our
primitive existence. The Group of 77 has therefore
insisted on a broad endeavour for sustainable
development based on economic growth, social
development and environmental protection. We should
adopt coherent and mutually reinforcing policies and
actions to advance in those three directions with the
same degree of political and legal commitment. The
United Nations has a central role in the realization of
the Millennium Development Goals and other
internationally agreed development goals.
Pakistan, as the current Chair of the Group of 77
and China, has suggested steps to enable developing
countries to coordinate and enlarge their national
development cooperation effort. In accordance with the
mandate adopted at the Second South Summit, we will
convene a panel of eminent experts of the South to
further develop common positions for developing
countries in critical areas like trade finance,
technology, energy and climate change.
Pakistan agrees that the management and
Secretariat of the United Nations should be reformed
and modernized, especially to improve the coherence
and effectiveness of the system. Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz is the Co-Chair of the Secretary-
General’s High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence.
The reform process must, however, remain sensitive to
the fundamental principle of the sovereign equality of
States in the decision-making process. That applies
especially to the issue of the expansion of the Security
Council. Security Council reform must enlarge the
representation of all Member States rather than expand
the circle of the privileged. The Security Council
functions must also be developed in a manner so that
these do not eclipse the Charter responsibilities of the
General Assembly or those of the other principal
organs of the United Nations.
In Pakistan, our aspirations are the same as
elsewhere: to accelerate our socio-economic
development, to build a knowledge-based society and
to contribute to peace and development in the world
consistent with the deeply held values of our faith and
our vision for a modern progressive Islamic state. That
has been the orientation of the Government of
President Musharraf for setting priorities and
introducing reform programmes. There have been
significant accomplishments in strengthening
institutions, promoting democratic polity and building
a sound economy.
To give a few examples, today we have robust
grass-roots level democratic institutions with
mandatory one-third representation by women. Our
minorities have been integrated into the political
mainstream. Our media is free, vibrant and assertive.
Our economy has seen stable growth over the past
eight years, and in that period, Pakistan’s national
output and per capita income has doubled. We are now
preparing for elections, as our elected national and
provincial assemblies will soon complete their full
term of office. As we enter this important phase in our
political life, we do so with the deep awareness that a
strong and stable Pakistan is pivotal for the peace and
progress of our region.