Prime Minister Muhammad Shehnaz Sharif has returned home after an extended visit to New York and London. He travelled to New York via London and followed the same route back after delivering another address at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding principled stance on the pressing issues of Kashmir and Palestine. He emphasised that India has been illegally occupying Jammu and Kashmir since 1948, while Israel has denied Palestinians their right to freedom since 1947.

During his speech, which marked his second address to the UNGA in his second term as Prime Minister since April 2022, Shehbaz Sharif drew a powerful comparison between the conflicts in Palestine and Kashmir. He should have also pointed out that both issues emerged in quick succession in 1947 and 1948, yet neither has been resolved. Both regions continue to suffer, with the UN General Assembly, its Security Council, and the international community failing to fulfil their obligations, while gross human rights violations and........

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