NEW YORK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for dialogue, cooperation and peace while highlighting Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, reaffirming support for Kashmiris and warning that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the Indus River waters would be treated as an “act of war.”
Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Shehbaz Sharif presented Pakistan’s position on regional security, terrorism, water rights, Kashmir, Islamophobia, relations with India, Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Tehran. The UN’s high-level General Debate is being held from September 22 to 26.
Pakistan’s sacrifices against terrorism
The prime minister said Pakistan had fought terrorists in its own cities and mountains and had paid a heavy human and economic price.
He said almost 100,000 precious lives had been lost and Pakistan had suffered economic losses exceeding $150 billion as a result of terrorism.
Shehbaz Sharif said the world was safer today because of the sacrifices made by Pakistan’s armed forces and civilians who confronted terrorists and militants.
Strong warning over Indus waters
A major part of the prime minister’s address focused on Pakistan’s water security.
Shehbaz Sharif said the shared waters of the Indus River system were the lifeblood not only of Pakistan but of the entire region.
He warned that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the waters would be treated as an act of war, addressing India directly and saying there should be no misunderstanding about Pakistan’s position.
Pakistan has repeatedly described the Indus waters as a vital national interest. In a 2025 communication to the UN Security Council, Pakistan similarly stated that any attempt to stop or divert water allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty would be considered an act of war.
Pakistan chooses dialogue over confrontation
Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan had made a clear choice in favour of diplomacy.
“Pakistan has made its choice,” he said, adding that Islamabad had chosen dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over coercion and peace over war.
The prime minister’s emphasis on dialogue came amid continuing international concerns over conflicts and instability across several regions. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also urged world leaders during the current General Assembly high-level week to pursue de-escalation and dialogue.
Islamophobia and religious freedom
The prime minister expressed concern over what he described as an alarming rise in Islamophobia.
He cited hate speech, discrimination, attacks on mosques and desecration of the Holy Quran, saying such developments were deeply worrying for Muslims around the world.
Referring to developments in India, Shehbaz Sharif said an RSS-driven ideology was contributing to religious hatred, which he said had resulted in lynchings, communal violence, attacks on places of worship and restrictions on religious freedom.
Kashmir remains a central issue
Speaking about Kashmir, Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s diplomatic, political and moral support for the Kashmiri people.
He said Pakistan would continue supporting Kashmiris until they were granted their right to self-determination.
“Kashmir has and always will be Pakistan’s jugular vein,” the prime minister said.
He said Kashmiri people had waited for decades for the United Nations to fulfil what Pakistan considers its commitment to a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
Shehbaz Sharif also alleged that generations of Kashmiris had faced illegal occupation, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and collective punishment.
He further alleged that recent measures had sought to alter the legal status of Jammu and Kashmir through demographic changes and other measures that Pakistan considers illegal.
Shehbaz Sharif credits Trump over South Asia crisis
The prime minister also praised US President Donald Trump for his intervention during the recent confrontation between Pakistan and India.
Shehbaz Sharif said that, due to what he called Trump’s “resolute and visionary leadership,” hundreds of millions of lives in South Asia had been saved.
He said Trump’s intervention came at a decisive moment when two nuclear-armed neighbours were facing the prospect of a wider war.
The prime minister stressed that South Asia must never again reach such a dangerous point.
Pakistan’s account of confrontation with India
Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan had faced what he described as external aggression from India a year earlier under a “false pretext.”
He said Pakistan exercised its inherent right of self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
The prime minister praised Pakistan’s armed forces under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying they had responded with precision and professionalism.
He said Pakistan’s military had repulsed the attack and demonstrated its capability to defend the country.
Makkah Joint Defence Agreement
Shehbaz Sharif also referred to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan as an expression of Pakistan’s commitment to regional peace and security.
He said the agreement was not directed against any country.
According to the prime minister, the agreement represented a collective commitment to defence, stability and peace in the region.
Solidarity with Saudi Arabia
The prime minister strongly condemned recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia.
Referring to an attempted drone attack targeting Makkah al-Mukarramah, Shehbaz Sharif said the incident had caused outrage among Muslims worldwide.
He said any threat to the safety and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain represented a red line that must never be crossed.
Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its people, saying Pakistan had consistently stood with the Kingdom throughout its history.
Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb
The prime minister also addressed the importance of key maritime routes to global trade.
He described the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb as arteries of the global economy and said they must remain open.
“These waters must carry the promise of prosperity, not the perils of war,” he said.
The remarks came as conflicts in the Middle East continued to dominate international discussions during the UN General Assembly high-level week. Recent reporting has highlighted concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict involving Iran and instability involving the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s diplomatic initiative between Washington and Tehran
Highlighting Pakistan’s diplomatic role, Shehbaz Sharif said Islamabad had acted swiftly at a critical moment and had succeeded in bringing Washington and Tehran under one roof in Islamabad.
He said the process had moved from the Islamabad talks to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, describing the developments as historic steps aimed at ending the conflict.
The prime minister said Pakistan had pursued diplomacy despite exceptionally difficult circumstances.
Tribute to Field Marshal Asim Munir
At the conclusion of his remarks on the diplomatic initiative, Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff.
He said Munir’s “relentless efforts” had helped create space for diplomacy under exceptionally difficult and challenging circumstances.
The prime minister’s address therefore placed Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts alongside its security concerns, presenting dialogue and regional stability as central elements of Islamabad’s foreign-policy position.
A broad foreign-policy message
Overall, Shehbaz Sharif’s address combined warnings over Pakistan’s water security and Kashmir with calls for dialogue, regional stability and international cooperation.
He highlighted Pakistan’s counterterrorism sacrifices, reaffirmed support for Kashmiris, expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, defended Pakistan’s position during its confrontation with India, welcomed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran, and presented the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as a framework focused on defence and regional stability.
The speech came during a General Assembly session dominated by conflicts in the Middle East and broader concerns over international peace and security. The UN has described the 81st session’s high-level week as a major platform for renewed international cooperation and collective action on peace and global challenges.