Pakistan joins the international community in celebrating the 74^th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Since its creation, the UN has been at the forefront of promoting international peace and security, human rights and human dignity.

Multilateral cooperation remains a corner stone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. Our longstanding collaboration with the United Nations is manifested, among others, by our contribution to UN peacekeeping. As a consistent top troop contributing country, over 200,000 of our Blue Helmets have served with distinction and honour in 46 Missions across the world.

The United Nations has played an active role in the struggle against colonialism and in promoting fundamental human rights. Peoples right to self-determination lies at the heart of this quest.Yet such a universal value is being trampled upon in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The situation in IOJ&K has been further exacerbated by persistent clampdown imposed by the Indian Government after its illegal actions of 5 August.

The Kashmir dispute remains on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council. The meeting of the UNSC on 16 August unequivocally reaffirmed this fact.

As we celebrate UN Day, I call on the international community, and especially the UN Security Council to work towards ending the reign of terror imposed in IOJ&K by occupation forces. Resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through implementation of UNSC resolutions that call for determining the will of the Kashmiri people through a free and fair plebiscite, under the UN auspices, is imperative.

We stand ready to work with the United Nations to pursue the high ideals espoused in the UN Charter, and making this Organization fit for purpose and relevant for all.