NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb to remain open, describing the strategic waterways as “arteries of the global economy” amid a surge in regional hostilities.
Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, PM Shehbaz said diplomacy must prevail amid the “roar of missiles, drones, and guns”.
“The Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb are arteries of the global economy. They must remain open — connecting nations, not becoming choke points of confrontation,” he said.
Following US and Israeli attacks on Iran, Tehran initially closed the Strait of Hormuz, while months into the war, the Houthis began disrupting shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, contributing to a surge in energy prices.
“These waters must carry the promise of prosperity, not the perils of war,” the prime minister added.
Turning to Saudi Arabia, PM Shehbaz condemned in the strongest terms the recent “deplorable attacks” by the Houthis against the Kingdom.
He said the attempted drone attack on the holy city of Makkah had “outraged Muslims across the globe”, stressing that any threat to the safety and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain was a “red line that must never be crossed”.
“No Muslim can even dare to think of committing such a heinous crime. Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, as we always have throughout our history,” Shehbaz said.
The prime minister also highlighted the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, saying the alliance reflected the countries’ commitment to peace.
“This alliance is not directed against any country. It is a collective commitment for defence, stability, and peace in the region, and nothing more,” he said.
‘Act of war’
Speaking on the Indus Water Treaty, the prime minister said that water is the “lifeblood” not only of Pakistan but of the entire region, warning 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”. He said India’s claims and actions had been rejected by experts and, more recently, by the Court of Arbitration.
The prime minister maintained that Pakistan’s position that the treaty remained “valid, binding and fully operative” had been vindicated.
“Water must never be weaponised. Rivers should nourish nations, not divide them,” Shehbaz said.
He warned India against attempting to interfere with Pakistan’s share of the waters, saying Islamabad would regard any such move as an act of war.
‘Kashmir will always be Pakistan’s jugular vein’
PM Shehbaz said Pakistan exercised its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter last year in May, with the armed forces responding to the Indian attack under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
He also credited US President Donald Trump’s intervention with helping prevent a wider conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, saying “hundreds of millions of lives” in South Asia were saved.
The prime minister said South Asia must never again reach the brink of an all-out war, stressing that this required a “just and fair” resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
He said Kashmiris had waited for eight decades for the UN to fulfil its commitment to a free and impartial plebiscite, while generations had endured illegal occupation, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and collective punishment.
The prime minister said attempts to alter the legal status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir through demographic changes and other measures are underway.
He assured Kashmiris that Pakistan would continue providing diplomatic, political and moral support until they achieved their “inalienable right to self-determination”.
“Kashmir has been, and always will be, Pakistan’s jugular vein,” Shehbaz said.
Use of Afghan territory for terrorism against Pakistan
Terming terrorism one of the gravest threats to international peace and security, the prime minister said that Pakistan has paid a heavy price in the fight against the menace.
He said Pakistan had lost nearly 100,000 lives and suffered economic losses exceeding $150 billion while fighting terrorists in its cities, mountains and along its borders.
PM Shehbaz said Afghan territory continued to be used by the outlawed TTP, referred to by Pakistan as Fitna al-Khawarij, and the BLA, which he called Fitna al-Hindustan, to carry out attacks against Pakistan.
The prime minister urged Afghan authorities to fulfil their international commitments and take verifiable action to prevent their territory from being used against Pakistan or other countries.
He also called for the fundamental rights of Afghans, particularly women and girls, to be respected.
PM condemns Israel’s actions in Gaza
The prime minister also condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank, saying Palestinians, particularly women, children and the elderly, have endured occupation, displacement, suffering and death for generations.
He recalled the killing of Palestinian girl Hind Rajab and highlighted the death of eight-year-old Wafaa Akeela, whose first day of school became her last.
The PM questioned whether children born in Gaza did not deserve the same life, future and dreams as children elsewhere.
PM Shehbaz said the deaths of Hind Rajab, Wafaa Akeela and countless others would remain an indictment of the international community’s silence and inaction.
He said Pakistan supported an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
The prime minister also condemned Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Syria, calling for an immediate end to the violence.
