UN chief, Pakistan's Dy PM hold talks; discuss regional and global issues

Islamabad: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres here and discussed regional and global matters and also raised the Kashmir issue.

Guterres, whose second five-year term as UN chief ends in December 2026, arrived in Pakistan earlier in the day for a three-day official visit at the invitation of Dar, who is also the Foreign Minister.

"Discussions covered regional and global issues relating to peace and security, including Palestine, Jammu & Kashmir, Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, and the future of multilateralism," the Foreign Office said.

Dar briefed the UN chief on "Pakistan's positions on Jammu & Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty, reaffirming Pakistan’s call for a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions," it said in a statement.

India put the IWT in abeyance as part of a series of punitive diplomatic and economic measures unveiled soon after last year's Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians.

New Delhi maintains that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always remain “integral and inalienable” parts of India.

Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation, including its facilitation of the Islamabad Talks between the US and Iran, the Foreign Office said.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy as the most effective means of resolving disputes, it added.

It said the UN chief appreciated Pakistan’s longstanding contribution to the UN, as well as its diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue, mediation, and de-escalation.

During his visit, the UN Secretary-General will also hold talks with President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Guterres is scheduled to visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan and attend a briefing at Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority.

His visit will “offer an important opportunity to reiterate Pakistan's long-standing cooperation with the United Nations, and to exchange views on regional and international developments”, the Foreign Office said.

It said that the visit will also provide an opportunity to acknowledge the able leadership and vital contributions of Guterres in the areas of international peace and development.

The visit reflects Pakistan’s unwavering support for multilateralism with the UN at its core, and its abiding commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, according to the Foreign Office.

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