Haramain security a red line, PM tells UN
Shehbaz Sharif condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and said the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb must remain open.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the United Nations General Assembly's 81st session that any threat to the sanctity and security of the Two Holy Mosques is a red line that Pakistan will not allow to be crossed.
Addressing the gathering, he condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and said the attempted drone attack on Makkah had caused deep grief and anger among Muslims worldwide, according to Independent Urdu.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan's long-standing commitment to peace was reflected in the historic Makkah joint defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. He stressed that diplomacy should be preferred over military conflict, and described the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb as vital arteries of the global economy that must remain open.
He highlighted Pakistan's efforts to bring the United States and Iran to the negotiating table in Islamabad, and called the Islamabad memorandum of understanding a historic step toward ending the dispute. He praised Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for creating space for diplomacy and acknowledged the role of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Express News reported additional details from the address. The Prime Minister said this was his fourth address to the Assembly, congratulated its President Khalil-ur-Rehman, and assured Pakistan's full cooperation. He recalled Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's commitment to the UN Charter and cited Security Council resolution 2788, adopted under Pakistan's presidency, as an expression of its resolve for world peace.
According to Express News, he said the February conflict in the Gulf caused heavy loss of life and economic strain, and Pakistan succeeded in bringing Washington and Tehran together under one roof in Islamabad. He also said the alliance of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey was not against any country.
The Prime Minister thanked US President Donald Trump for what he called timely intervention that prevented war between two nuclear powers last year, after India's unprovoked aggression against Pakistan. On Kashmir, he said the dispute must be resolved, that Kashmiris had looked to the UN for eight decades for their right to self-determination, and that Pakistan would continue full diplomatic, political and moral support until that right is fulfilled. He called Kashmir Pakistan's jugular vein, Express News reported.
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