ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held on Thursday a preparatory meeting for the upcoming UN General Assembly session and other events planned on its sidelines.

The meeting was attended by Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and Ambassador to the United Nations Dr Maleeha Lodhi.

The meeting, an official said, discussed proposals for making Pakistan’s participation in the UNGA session that coincides with 70th anniversary of the founding of the world body more meaningful. The premier would lead Pakistan’s delegation at the UNGA in September.

A number of other summits, including the one on peacekeeping that Mr Sharif would co-chair with US President Obama, are planned on the sidelines of the UNGA. Mr Sharif would also be attending a summit hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping on South-South cooperation and another on the Post-2015 Agenda.

Leaders at the Post-2015 Agenda would adopt the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr Sharif said: “Pakistan has always played an active role in the UN and should continue to be in the forefront of all UN activities and debates.”

Meanwhile, at the weekly FO Briefing, Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said: “Pakistan’s Permanent Representative in New York (Dr Maleeha Lodhi) is in Islamabad for routine consultations. Broad range of issues of Pakistan’s interest at the United Nations is being discussed in these consultations.”

Media reports had earlier suggested that Dr Lodhi had been called for consultations over a planned move to raise the issue of Indian involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan.

Responding to a question about Pakistan government’s request to UK for accessing the information quoted in a BBC report regarding alleged Indian funds for of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the spokesman said British authorities had not responded as yet.

“The government of Pakistan is in touch with British authorities with a view to seeking information and facts of the report as its contents are of vital significance to the state of Pakistan. So far, to the best of my knowledge, we have not received any response,” Mr Khalilullah said.

On the reported sentencing of self-described defence analyst Zaid Hamid in Saudi Arabia, the spokesman said the Pakistan embassy had sought factual position from the Saudi government, but there has been no response as yet.

“Our embassy has officially requested the host authorities to convey factual position in view of media reports about the sentence given to Mr Zaid Hamid, provide consular access and intimate charges against him. Response of the concerned authorities of Saudi Arabia is awaited,” he said.

Zaid Hamid was arrested in Saudi Arabia almost three weeks ago for allegedly criticising the Saudi government for the war in Yemen.

There have been unconfirmed reports that Saudi authorities have sentenced Mr Hamid to eight years in jail and at least 1,000 lashes.

Commenting on media reports which quoted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as saying that “Pakistan was in an undeclared war with Afghanistan”, Mr Khalilullah said the reported remarks were incorrect.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2015

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