Frosty ties thaw with NY rendezvous

Islamabad, Dhaka agree to expand ties

NEW YORK:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended a ceremony to mark 50 years of Bangladesh's membership of the United Nations on the invitation of its Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus.

Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi accompanied the prime minister.

Dr Muhammad Younis warmly welcomed Prime Minister Shehbaz and members of his delegation at the ceremony held on Tuesday night on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The two leaders agreed to promote cooperation between Pakistan and Bangladesh in various fields.

There was a positive discussion regarding the expansion of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

UN chief

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and called on him to use his good offices for the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, and ensuring the right to self-determination of the Kashmiris.

The prime minister, in the meeting held on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly here, briefed the UN secretary-general on the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

He underscored Pakistan's serious concerns over India's egregious actions in the IIOJK and stressed upon the need to resolve the dispute to ensure lasting peace and stability in South Asia.

Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed the initiative by the Secretary General Guterres to organize the "Summit of the Future", and expressed his hope that its outcome would help the developing countries in bridging the financial gap for the implementation of SDGs and climate goals.

He condemned Israel's genocidal campaign against the Palestinians, and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

The prime minister also urged the international community to hold Israel accountable and reaffirmed Pakistan's support for the establishment of a viable and sovereign State of Palestine.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also underscored the need for stemming the rising tide of Islamophobia, and discrimination against Muslims worldwide.

He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to actively contribute towards international peace and security as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the year 2025-26.

Secretary General Guterres thanked the prime minister for Pakistan's active engagement at the United Nations as well as for its role towards international peace and security in the form of its UN's peacekeeping force.

Kuwait ties

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting with the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and expressed Pakistan's keenness to further strengthen ties between Pakistan and Kuwait.

In the meeting held on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly Session here, the prime minister affirmed the longstanding cordial relations between the two brotherly countries.

The two leaders also reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, ranging from political, economic and defense cooperation to people-people exchanges.

Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his desire to engage with Kuwait in mutually beneficial economic investments under the rubric of the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

The two leaders affirmed to closely collaborate bilaterally, as well as on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

Turkiye

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wherein two sides agreed to further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment, defence, and security domains.

The two leaders discussed bilateral matters, regional and global developments, according to a PM Office press release.

They assessed preparations for the upcoming 7th session of Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) to be held in Islamabad in the near future.

The two leaders also discussed regional and global developments, especially the ongoing genocide and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. They called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and end of hostilities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated Turkiye's firm and consistent support for the oppressed people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

President Erdogan expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Shehbaz's economic policies, which had played a crucial role in stabilizing Pakistan's economy and commended his leadership and commitment to economic reforms.

Furthermore, he also extended his heartfelt birthday wishes to the prime minister who celebrated his 73rd Birthday this week.

Prime Minister Shehbaz congratulated President Erdogan on his passionate address to the 79th session of the UN General Assembly that centred on the Palestinian crisis.

"The way the Turkish president highlighted the issue touched the hearts of all those listening to him in the Assembly hall," he told reporters after the meeting.

In his emotional address, Erdogan said that the values of the United Nations' system and the Western world were dying in Gaza as the conflict continued there, calling for an "alliance of humanity" to stop Israel's aggression.

The Turkish leader strongly criticized Israel over its military campaign in the Gaza Strip and on the Western countries for their support to Israel.

"Along with children in Gaza, the United Nations system is also dying, the truth is dying, the values that the West claims to defend are dying, the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one," Erdogan added.

Commenting on the country's economic situation, Prime Minister Shehbaz told the media that agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was in the final stages of approval as Pakistan had accepted all its conditions – some of them quite tough.

In this regard, he profusely thanked China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, saying without their support this would not have been possible.

The premier said his government had accepted the economic challenge to the country and now, with collective efforts of the government and all institutions, it has overcome those challenges.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prayed for Allah's help in serving the people of Pakistan.

Later, on his X timeline, the prime minister said that he was honoured to meet his "dear brother" and "a great friend" of Pakistan.

"We assured each other of our consistent and continued support on core interests and also discussed regional developments, especially the situation in Gaza," he remarked.

The prime minister also thanked President Erdogan for your warm wishes on my birthday and your appreciation of our economic reform agenda.

"I look forward to working with you to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between our two countries," he added.