Pakistan reaffirms commitment to Commonwealth at UN meeting

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, on Monday participated in the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM) held at U.N. Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the U.N. General Assembly.

In his remarks, Foreign Minister Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to the Commonwealth, emphasizing its role as a platform for dialogue, consensus-building, and cooperation in addressing overlapping global crises.

He welcomed efforts to reorient the organization to respond effectively to emerging challenges.

The Foreign Minister highlighted Pakistan’s leadership on youth empowerment within the Commonwealth.

He also underscored the importance of building climate resilience, promoting digital transformation, and advancing the Connectivity Agenda to strengthen trade and supply chain links across the 56-member family of nations.

Arab-Islamic consultations in New York

Earlier, Foreign Minister Dar participated in consultations hosted by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in New York. Other participants included the Deputy Prime Ministers of Jordan and the UAE, and the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye.

The ministers exchanged views and coordinated positions for a unified approach on some of the key issues at the U.N. General Assembly session.

In a post on X, Foreign Minister Dar underscored the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that existed between Pakistan and Islamic countries.

He recalled that the people of Pakistan had a great affinity for their Muslim brethren in the Middle East and would support all constructive endeavors aimed at fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and beyond.

PM departs for New York

Earlier Monday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed from London for New York, where he will lead Pakistan’s delegation at a high-level segment of the U.N. General Assembly’s session.

At the U.N. session, Prime Minister Shehbaz “will urge the international community to resolve the situations of prolonged occupation and denial of the right to self-determination,” particularly in India-occupied Kashmir and Palestine, an earlier statement by the Foreign Office said.

“He will also highlight Pakistan’s perspective on the regional security situation, as well as other issues of international concern, including climate change, terrorism, Islamophobia, and sustainable development.”

The Foreign Office, in its statement, said Prime Minister Shehbaz would attend several “high-level events” on the sidelines of the U.N. session, including a moot of “select” Muslim leaders with U.S. President Donald Trump.