PM Shehbaz Sharif meets Joe Biden, leaves New York

NEW YORK: A dinner was held by United States President Joe Biden on Friday in honour of the heads of government participating in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended.

PM Shehbaz Sharif met Biden during the dinner and the two expressed good wishes for each other.

The Prime Minister then left New York, concluding the 5-day trip that saw him hold meetings with the leaders of various delegations including the United Kingdom, Iran, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Maldives.

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He also held meetings with the UN Secretary Antonio Guterres and UNGA President Philemon Yang, as well the heads of both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

His trip culminated in a 21-minute address to the UN General Assembly. After beginning his address with the recitation from the Quran, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the UN Charter.

PM Shehbaz then condemned Israel, describing their attacks on Gaza as a “genocidal war”, urging the international community to work towards a two-state solution. He called for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state and their inclusion as a full member of the UN

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He then drew parallels between Palestine and Kashmir, criticising India for the ongoing repression in Jammu and Kashmir.

Climate change was also brought up as the PM discussed the billions of dollars of damage caused by floods that struck Pakistan in 2022. The fight against terrorism was another topic, with Sharif highlighting the loss the country has had to endure, losing 80,000 people consisting of security forces and civilians.