Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, where they discussed regional security, Afghanistan, and Palestine.
During the meeting, Sharif conveyed Islamabad’s concerns over what he described as an “increase in terrorist threats emanating from Afghan territory.” At the same time, he emphasized the importance of resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomacy and expressed support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state.
The Pakistani prime minister also raised his country’s concerns over the increasing acts of violence against Islam.
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan in recent days. Following a deadly attack near a mosque in the Kohat region, Islamabad accused the Taliban of providing shelter to groups opposed to Pakistan—an allegation the Taliban have denied.
Pakistan subsequently reported carrying out several airstrikes inside Afghanistan, saying that it had targeted 10 locations linked to the storage and launch of drones. The Taliban, however, said that civilians were among those killed in the strikes and vowed to respond to what they described as “Pakistani attacks.”
Afghanistan’s Taliban-run Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned Pakistan’s acting ambassador in Kabul to formally lodge a protest over the airstrikes.
Writer:Roya Stanikzai
