At UNGA, PM Shehbaz calls Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab vital to global economy

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab are arteries of the global economy and must remain open, connecting nations rather than becoming choke points of confrontation. His speech was carried by Dawn and Geo News.

He began by saying that the pursuit of peace is among the noblest of human endeavours, and that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's declaration of support for the UN Charter had shaped Pakistan's national ethos and guided its conduct at home and abroad.

He said these waters must carry the promise of prosperity, not the perils of war. Condemning Houthi attacks on holy cities in Saudi Arabia, the prime minister called them a red line and said Pakistan stands with the Kingdom. He added that the Makkah pact was not directed against any country but was a collective commitment for defence, stability and peace in the region.

Recalling the conflict with India in May last year, Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan's armed forces responded with precision, repulsed the enemy attack and taught it a lesson it would never forget.

On the Indus Water Treaty, the prime minister said water is the lifeblood not only of Pakistan but of the entire region. He warned that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan's share of river waters would be treated as an act of war. He said India's unilateral decision to hold the existing water treaty in abeyance had no legal basis whatsoever. India's claims and actions, he said, had been rejected by experts and more recently by the Court of Arbitration. Pakistan's position that the treaty remains valid, binding and fully operative had been vindicated, he said.

'Water must never be weaponised. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them,' he said, warning India against any attempt to interfere with Pakistan's share of the waters.