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UNITED NATIONS, Oct 8: Pakistan on Thursday reiterated its commitment to continue the bilateral dialogue to restore normalcy and cooperation with India focusing on all issues including Jammu and Kashmir.
"History has demonstrated that there is no military solution to our problems. The aspirations of the two peoples for social and economic progress cannot be achieved in the absence of peace," said Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Munir Akram.
Addressing the UN General Assembly on the report of the secretary-general on the work of the organization, Mr Akram said: "We believe the dual channels of CBMs and the dialogue process must move in tandem."
"The solution of Kashmir cannot be inordinately delayed," he said and added that we desired a resolution of Kashmir which was just and acceptable to India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.
Mr Akram said that leaders of Pakistan and India agreed that possible options for a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the issue should be explored in a sincere spirit and purposeful manner.
"Pakistan is convinced that sustainable peace can only be assured by adopting a comprehensive conflict-prevention strategy, addressing the root-causes of conflict, strengthening long-term capacities for the peaceful settlement of disputes, and recognizing the inextricable link between peace and development," he added.
PALESTINE: Underscoring that the time has come for closing fronts through peace, reconciliation and reform, Mr Akram said that the front that must be closed on priority was the Middle East.
Noting that the tragedy of Palestine is a source of deep anguish as well as anger across the Islamic world, Mr Akram said: "Israel's indiscriminate use of force against innocent Palestinians, targeted assassinations, construction of the illegal Separation Wall, and expansion of Israeli settlements grievously harm the prospects for peace and keep Palestinians in perpetual agony."
"Israel must comply with its legal obligations as set out in the advisory opinion of the ICJ. A just and peaceful solution, based on the resolutions of the Security Council, must be implemented, realizing the vision of two states Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. The sponsors of the Quartet's Road Map have a special responsibility to secure its faithful implementation," he added.
TERRORISM: Saying that Pakistan has remained in the vanguard of global efforts to fight the scourge of terrorism, Mr Akram called for a broad-based international cooperation to counter this threat.
"We must underline that beyond determined action against terrorists, it is essential to have a clear, comprehensive and long-term strategy to strike at the root of the problem to ensure final success. We must work to evolve a legal definition of terrorism by consensus. The strategy must also include measures to reduce poverty and address political and economic injustice," he added.
WMD: Speaking about the risk of unilateral use of pre-emptive force, he said: "Pakistan believes it would be a grave historical error to opt for strategies of intervention and pre-emption to counter terrorism, prevent WMD proliferation, or impose order in imploding states."
"Recent experience has demonstrated that such strategies can be costly and counterproductive. We should not move away from the restraints in the charter on the use or threat of force to legalize, through the Security Council, the pre-emptive or preventive use of force," he said
He observed that the external intervention and coercion were more likely to exacerbate, rather than ease, the threat of WMD proliferation. The quest of some states for weapons of mass destruction was often propelled by the fear of external intervention and aggression.
"Equitable and practical arrangements can be negotiated in open forums to strengthen physical and export controls over sensitive materials and technology. The motivations for proliferation can be removed through conflict-resolution and security assurances.
The states possessing nuclear weapons now eight not five must also work together to evolve a realistic programme to achieve nuclear disarmament and prevent nuclear proliferation," he added.
