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UN, New York, January 16, 2015
At the United Nations Security Council, Pakistan unequivocally condemned terrorism perpetrated by ISIL against states and individuals and rejected the notion of the so-called caliphate by ISIL.
Participating in a debate on the situation in the Middle East, Ambassador Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative said that Pakistan was fully implementing UN Security Council Resolutions 2170 and 2178, in letter and spirit. “We must together stop this tide to save our global civilization”, he added.
Ambassador Khan said that for the fourth year running, the last year was the deadliest in Syria. “This progressive deterioration must be halted”, he pleaded. Pakistan expressed full support to Secretary General's Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura’s efforts to arrange localized ceasefires and initiate a political process. Emphasizing the need for united action by the Security Council, Pakistani envoy said that last year’s destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons programme demonstrated what could be accomplished when this Council was united.
Talking on the issue on Palestine, Ambassador Khan urged the Security Council members to work on a resolution that could pave the way to a clearly marked pathway to peace.
He warned that the absence of engagement between Palestinian Authority and Israel, a constant state of fear and animosity and continuing violations of the Palestinians’ rights does not constitute a state of limbo but a very precarious and perilous situation. He expressed fear that violence and conflict could erupt any moment and highlighted the need to re-energize and intensify diplomacy.
Pakistani envoy said that while the Palestinian statehood had increasingly been recognized worldwide, the Council had failed to pass a resolution based on agreed parameters, which had a strong justification for adoption.
The only path to a viable and sustainable peace, Ambassador Khan said, was the establishment of the State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, and vacation of all Arab lands by Israel, including the Syrian Golan.