Tag: UN

  • UN chief António Guterres gets re-elected for second term

    UN chief António Guterres gets re-elected for second term

    United Nations (UN) SecretaryGeneral, António Guterres has been re-elected for a second five-year term, on Friday by the 193 state members of the UN general assembly.

    As per reports, earlier this month, a 15-membered Security Council body unanimously recommended his name for the re-appointment. His official tenure will start from January 1, 2022, which lasts to 2026.

    This announcement was made by the President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir, after that he took oath from Guterres at the podium of the UN General Assembly hall.

    He expressed his gratitude by saying that serving in UN is an immense privilege and noble duty to him.

    Guterres’s major focus throughout his tenure has always been uniting the world behind efforts to combat climate change and environmental collapse. In 2017, he succeeded Korean diplomat, Ban Ki Moon who also served twice as the UN Eighth Secretary General.

    António Guterres, a Portuguese National currently is 72 years old. In the past, he also had served twice as the Prime Minister of Portugal.

  • Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan responsible for over 100 cross-border attacks: UN

    Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan responsible for over 100 cross-border attacks: UN

    The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is responsible for over 100 cross-border attacks within Pakistan in July-Oct 2020, said United Nations’ 27th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team on Sunday.

    The UN report submitted to the UN Security Council also lauded Pakistan’s steps against terrorism.

    It said: “Pakistan took action against individuals engaging in terrorism financing and the freezing of the assets of designated individuals and entities.” 

    According to the report, the TTP saw the “reunification of splinter groups that took place in Afghanistan”. It added that “five entities pledged alliance to TTP in July and August (2020), including the Shahryar Mehsud group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Hizb-ul-Ahrar, the Amjad Farooqi group and the Usman Saifullah group (formerly known as Lashkar-e- Jhangvi).”

    The merger of these groups has enhanced the terrorism threat in Pakistan and the region, it said, adding that the group was responsible for numerous attacks in the country. “The TTP was responsible for more than 100 cross-border attacks between July and October 2020,” the report said, adding that based on estimates, the TTP’s fighting strength ranges between 2,500 and 6,000.

    Last year, Pakistan had handed over a dossier to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the Indian sponsorship of TTP and JuA.

  • UN chief urges Pakistan, India to resolve Kashmir conflict through talks

    UN chief urges Pakistan, India to resolve Kashmir conflict through talks

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Thursday called on nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to “come together and seriously discuss their problems” stemming from the unresolved Kashmir dispute, saying his good offices are always available for mediation.

    Replying to a question from APP correspondent Iftikhar Ali at his first press conference in 2021, the UN chief warned that there was no “military solution” to the decades-old conflict.

    “It is clear when seeing Pakistan and India, any military confrontation between the two would be a disaster of unmitigated proportions for both countries and for the whole world,” he warned.

    “I do believe that is absolutely essential to have a de-escalation of the situation, namely in the Line of Control” in the disputed Kashmir region, Guterres said, adding, “I think it’s absolutely essential for the two countries to be able to come together and seriously discuss their problems.”

    “And,” he added, “I think it’s essential that human rights are fully respected in all territories that you mentioned,” referring to the question in which the correspondent highlighted the continuing rights abuses in the Indian occupied Kashmir.

    He said he stood by his statement of Aug. 8, 2019, which called for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute based on UN resolutions and the UN Charter.

    “Now, things have not moved in the right direction, our good offices are always available, and we will insist within it on finding peaceful solutions for problems that have no military solution.”

  • Pakistan asks UN to take notice of rights violations in occupied Kashmir, fulfill plebiscite promise

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked the United Nations and its member states to take notice of atrocities in occupied Kashmir while reminding the world body of its promise of holding an impartial plebiscite in the region.

    The PM said Pakistan would stand with the Kashmiri people till the realisation of their right to self-determination, adding that on Jan 5, 1949, the UN “guaranteed the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir through an impartial plebiscite”.

    “We observe this day as a reminder to the UN and its member state of their unfulfilled commitment to the Kashmiri people.”

    In a statement shared by the APP, the PM said: “Being a direct party to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Pakistan will continue to underscore the imperative of holding a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

    According to the PM, the importance of the right to self-determination has been acknowledged in various human rights conventions and decisions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. However, due to the “Indian intransigence, the Security Council has failed to fulfill its pledge to the Kashmiri people”.

    The PM said that Pakistan calls on the international community to take against the well-documented human rights violations being committed by the Indian occupation forces against Kashmiris and ensure that they get their right to self-determination.

  • Indian troops target UN vehicle from across LOC: ISPR

    Indian troops target UN vehicle from across LOC: ISPR

    The Indian Army has deliberately targeted a United Nations (UN) vehicle carrying military observers along the Line of Control (LoC), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has said.

    ISPR tweeted that the Indian Army resorted to unprovoked firing in Chirikot sector of the LoC and “deliberately targeted a UN vehicle with two military observers on board”. “The military observers were en route to interact with victims of the ceasefire violations (CFVs) in Polas village in Chirikot sector,” it added.

    UN vehicles are clearly recognisable due to their distinct make and type and clearly visible markings, but they were still targetted. “While the vehicle was damaged, the two UNMOs luckily remained unharmed. They were safely rescued and evacuated by the Pakistan Army to Rawalakot,” the ISPR said.

    According to the ISPR, “Such illegal and unlawful acts against all established international norms, signify malintent of the Indian Army to target not only innocent civilians residing along the Line of Control but also the UN peacekeepers.”

    “This act only goes to show the Indian army’s complete disregard to principles enshrined in UN charter. It is indeed a new low for Indian Army,” it added.

    The media wing said that Pakistan Army stands in solidarity with the United Nations Military Observer Group in India And Pakistan (UNMOGIP) officials and appreciates the selfless services rendered by all members of UNMOGIP in the discharge of their UN-mandated duties.

    Yesterday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that India was planning to undertake a surgical strike against Pakistan to divert the attention of the world from its worsening domestic situation.

    Addressing a press conference in Abu Dhabi, Qureshi had said that India’s irrational approach was driven by its frustration emanating from internal unrest due to the RSS-BJP regime’s policies.

    “India is planning a false flag operation … we are well aware of the Indian designs. We have intelligence reports about a potential false flag operation,” the FM said. “I want to share all this information with the UAE government and the rest of the world,” Qureshi had added.

  • Kashmir ‘Curfew Clock’ facing UN building set up in New York

    Kashmir ‘Curfew Clock’ facing UN building set up in New York

    After Islamabad, a digital “Curfew Clock” has been installed in front of the United Nations (UN) building in New York, showing the number of days, hours and minutes since India has kept occupied Kashmir under curfew.

    Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi on Thursday night tweeted the pictures of a truck with the curfew clock screen, facing the UN building.

    People of the Muslim-majority troubled valley have been held hostage by Indian occupying forces since August 5 when New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of its constitution to rob the disputed territory of its autonomy.

    Last week on Saturday, Pakistan had installed a similar curfew clock in the federal capital as the country observed “Kashmir Hour” to express solidarity with the people of held Kashmir.

  • PM Imran, UN chief made respondents in petition seeking ‘jihad in Kashmir’

    PM Imran, UN chief made respondents in petition seeking ‘jihad in Kashmir’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres among others have been made respondents in a petition seeking “jihad in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK)”.

    As per the details, lawyer Muhammad Sharif Sabir has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for directions to the government to “declare jihad” in the troubled valley.

    While the court has dismissed the plea “as non-maintainable”, among other respondents were the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) PM, ministries of defence, foreign affairs and Kashmir affairs.

    Emotions run high ever since New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of its constitution and robbed IoK of its autonomy. Pakistan has been protesting on all fronts against the move that can pave way for a Muslim genocide in the disputed territory.

    “Kashmir Hour” on Friday is also being observed across the country on PM Imran’s call for solidarity with Kashmiris.

  • UN responds to demands, says ‘Priyanka has right to speak in personal capacity’

    UN responds to demands, says ‘Priyanka has right to speak in personal capacity’

    The United Nations (UN) has responded to Pakistani demands seeking the removal of Indian actor Priyanka Chopra as United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) goodwill ambassador for peace.

    According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson, when UNICEF goodwill ambassadors speak in their personal capacity, “they retain the right to speak about issues that interest or concern them”.

    “Their personal views or actions do not necessarily reflect those of UNICEF,” he said, adding, “When they speak on behalf of the UNICEF, we expect them to adhere to UNICEF’s evidence-based impartial positions.”

    Antonio remarked that UNICEF goodwill ambassadors are prominent individuals who have agreed to generously volunteer their time and their public profile to promote children’s rights.

    The development comes after Pakistanis, including Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, demanded that Priyanka be removed by the UN over a February tweet amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and India.

    The tweet had come a day before Indian fighter jets crossed into Pakistani territory, conducting air raids that resulted in an escalation in hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

    The campaign against Priyanka had started after she was asked to comment on her tweet at a conference in Los Angeles by a Pakistani girl, to which she had responded harshly, inviting criticism from all-around.

    Mazari had last week also lodged an official complaint with the UN, demanding Chopra’s removal over her “support for war”.

  • Kashmir crisis: Pakistan’s aggressive diplomacy at UN puts India on backfoot

    Kashmir crisis: Pakistan’s aggressive diplomacy at UN puts India on backfoot

    Islamabad’s aggressive diplomacy, ever since India revoked Article 370 of its constitution to snatch occupied Kashmir’s autonomy, has put New Delhi on backfoot at the United Nations (UN), ARY News reported.

    According to reports, Pakistan’s Representative to the UN Maleeha Lodhi has highlighted the need to ensure that the crisis triggered by India’s unlawful annexation of Jammu and Kashmir is addressed in accordance with UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions on the disputed region.

    During Lodhi’s meeting with UN Political Affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo on Thursday, she focused on the illegality of Indian actions and called on the UN, especially the secretary general, to clearly enunciate its position on the subject.

    The meeting was part of a series of contacts Pakistan’s envoy has been making to brief senior UN officials from all regions of the world about Pakistan’s stance on the Indian government’s decision to strip Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) of its special status and placing the disputed state under a lockdown.

    She also informed DiCarlo about the complete lockdown in IoK, including shut down of internet services and landlines that had begun even before the announcement of the controversial decision.

    A statement issued on behalf of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has also acknowledged the critical importance of UN Resolutions on Kashmir to deal with the crisis.

    Lodhi also met three non-permanent members of the UN Security Council — Kuwait, Indonesia and South Africa — as India, on backfoot, also stepped up its campaign to have the world believe that the decision was taken for the socio-economic development of the Kashmiris and that they enjoy the same rights as Indians.