Gen. Asim Munir, left, meets U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York. Photo courtesy ISPR
Pakistan Army chief Gen. Asim Munir on Friday called on U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, highlighting ongoing concerns with atrocities in India-held Kashmir and Gaza, and reaffirming Pakistan’s support to the U.N. in all its earnest efforts.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is currently on a tour of the U.S., during which he has already met senior American officials, as well as his military counterparts. In his visit to the U.N. Headquarters in New York, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), he stressed that peace in South Asia would remain elusive until a lasting and peaceful solution to the longstanding Kashmir dispute. This, he stressed, must be in accordance with relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The military’s media wing said Gen. Munir also condemned the unilateral and illegal Indian efforts to change the status of Jammu and Kashmir, describing them as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
On Palestine, the Army chief reiterated Pakistan’s stance of an enduring solution only being possible through a two-state solution. He also urged the U.N. secretary general to mobilize the international community for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza to end the unfolding human tragedy in the besieged enclave. The ISPR said the COAS particularly shared his deep concerns over the plight of innocent civilians, who have been brutally targeted by Israeli forces, and are not being provided with sufficient humanitarian relief.
The military’s media wing said Guterres warmly welcomed the Army chief on his visit and appreciated Pakistan’s contributions to global peace and stability. He also acknowledged Gen. Munir’s concerns, and thanked the Army chief for his visit to U.N. Headquarters.