Pakistan is bracing for India’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the first since the four-day Operation Sindhoor in May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the event to be held on September 26, according to the provisional list of speakers issued by the United Nations.
Pakistan’s representatives will also be attending the event, and the delegation will be led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. This will also be the first time Sharif will come face-to-face with Modi, after the flare-up in May, post the Pahalgam incident. Modi will also speak at the high-level general debate running from September 23 to 29.
While Modi will speak in the early session, Sharif will be speaking later, according to Dawn. The arrangement could give Pakistan the strategic advantage of speaking after India, giving it a direct platform to respond to New Delhi’s narrative, the report added.
The report, quoting unnamed observers, said the appearances of PM Shehbaz and Modi will “underline the gulf in perspectives”. Though India is yet to make any comments about its participation or agenda, Pakistani observers expect India would stress sovereignty and security. This, according to them, will give Islamabad the opportunity to respond directly, “emphasising Kashmir and regional peace as core issues.”
“The world has seen how quickly South Asia can slide toward conflict. Without a just settlement of Kashmir, the UN’s own promise of peace, development, and human rights cannot be fulfilled in our region,” Dawn quoted a diplomat, but made no mention of the internal terrorist hub in the country.
Pakistan has been expressing interest in holding talks with India for the past several days on not just Kashmir but on all issues.”
This also comes as India on Monday warned Pakistan of a potential flood situation in Jammu’s Tawi river, a first since the conflict.
