Today, on Friday, 27th September, our Prime Minister, Mr. Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, is addressing the 79th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The Prime Minister had left Pakistan for New York via London on 21st September. After spending two days in London, allegedly meeting his doctor for back pain, he proceeded to New York. It has now been a week since Mr. Shehbaz Sharif arrived in New York.
Is it appropriate for the Prime Minister of a debt-ridden and impoverished country like Pakistan to stay abroad for several days at heavy expenses, especially in such dire and troubling times when Pakistan is requesting more loans from the IMF, China, and Arab countries? Incidentally, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif also addressed the UN General Assembly during the first term of the PDM government, fulfilling his desire.
It is noteworthy that despite being in the US, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not address the General Assembly. Did it cause any calamity for India? Modi also met with the US President and addressed an audience of 50,000 in the Indian community in New York.
Whenever any of our rulers visits a powerful and wealthy foreign country, a debate ensues in our media about what they will bring back for the nation. This question reflects not only our national poverty but also conveys a sense of deep shame and embarrassment. Yet, there is no avoiding it.
Mr. Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in New York at a time when the IMF, a global financial institution under the influence of the US, was hesitant to grant more loans to Pakistan. However, this visit has proven successful in the sense that the IMF has once again approved a bailout package of seven billion dollars for Pakistan.
Our leaders have already taken out billions of dollars in loans under harsh IMF conditions, the significance of which the public is unaware of, but these loans have severely burdened the people. Meanwhile, American financial monitoring agencies like Fitch, Bloomberg, and Moody’s have recently reported the encouraging news that Pakistan’s economy is showing positive signs under Shehbaz’s government. These good tidings suggest that Pakistan’s economy has been saved from collapse.
Some government officials had stated that during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN visit, key American figures might help melt the hearts of IMF and World Bank officials toward Pakistan. While Shehbaz Sharif’s speech at the UNGA today is of pivotal importance, the real question is how successful he will be in securing economic relief for Pakistan through meetings with American and global personalities. The new Pakistani ambassador to the US, Mr. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, also faces scrutiny over how effective he will be in assisting Shehbaz Sharif in achieving the desired outcomes at the UNGA. This is a test of Rizwan’s diplomatic skills. Similarly, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, the 79-year-old veteran diplomat Mr. Munir Akram, is being looked upon with hope by both the government and the people of Pakistan to see how well he plays his role in influencing powerful Americans in Shehbaz Sharif’s favor.
In speeches at the UN General Assembly, every Pakistani leader focuses on key issues such as Kashmir, Palestine, terrorism faced by Pakistan, and the country’s contributions to global peace. Mr. Shehbaz Sharif is attending the UNGA at a time when India has recently staged a farcical election in the Kashmir Assembly. Recently, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei made a strong protest against the Modi government’s numerous atrocities against India’s Muslim community.
In Palestine and Gaza, the occupying Israeli forces have martyred over 41,000 Palestinians, and the Zionist aggression continues. Israel has intensified cyber and missile attacks on Lebanon, injuring hundreds of Hezbollah affiliates and martyring dozens. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) continues to carry out attacks on civilians and security forces, resulting in new bloodshed almost daily.
Despite Pakistan’s numerous protests against TTP, the Afghan Taliban rulers refuse to listen. The burden of over 4 million Afghan refugees continues to weigh heavily on Pakistan. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Munir Akram, has stated that Pakistan does not wish to confront the Afghan Taliban, as it values the interests of the Afghan people. While this diplomatic language is admirable, is there any solution to the way the Afghan Taliban are undermining Pakistan’s interests?
As Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the UNGA today, these issues will undoubtedly be at the forefront of his concerns. The real challenge for him will be to present these issues diplomatically and align them with Pakistan’s national interests.
However, it is surprising that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Amina Baloch did not accompany the Prime Minister to New York. It is reported that they were held back for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Islamabad.
It is rumored that the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, is a close friend of Shehbaz Sharif. It remains to be seen how much this personal friendship and their meeting will benefit Pakistan. Shehbaz Sharif is aware that the majority of the Pakistani community in New York and other US cities supports PTI, so he should have met with selected members and investors from the Pakistani community.
There should also be PML-N supporters among the overseas Pakistani community. The billions of dollars in remittances sent by Pakistanis living in the US, UK, Europe, and Arab countries are a favor to the ruling government. Despite our national and governmental weaknesses, we have high expectations from Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the UNGA. For instance, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami has stated: “If Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif does not bring Dr. Aafia Siddiqui back from the US, the nation will not forgive him.”
While Senator Mushtaq’s demand is valid, expecting Shehbaz Sharif to achieve something beyond his power is unrealistic. It is not easy for Shehbaz Sharif to secure the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, who is imprisoned in a Texas jail.