ISLAMABAD, 17 SEPT (DNA) – Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif left here Saturday on his most important foreign visit of the year to New York where he will attend the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

This will be the Prime Minister’s fourth address to the 193 member world body in his third term in office. He is expected to address the General Assembly on 21st September, he will enunciate Pakistan’s position on key global and regional issues, but especially focus on the situation in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, a statement from the PM House said.

The Prime Minister will have a very hectic schedule in New York. On the sidelines of the UNGA, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with a number of world leaders, including the UN Secretary-General. He will be joined in New York by the Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz and other senior officials.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will make two other statements at the UN in addition to his General Assembly address. Both will be at meetings that are being convened to focus on the global refugee’s crisis.

This year’s General Assembly is taking place in the backdrop of grave human rights abuses in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir being perpetrated by Indian occupation forces on innocent and defenceless people

The Indian state oppression and human rights abuses has drawn significant international attention, especially after Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif wrote two letters to the UN Secretary-General demanding action to implement UN Security Council resolutions and immediate end of grave human rights abuses by indian occupation forces in the occupied territory

The Prime Minister will call upon the international community and the United Nations to live up to their promise of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions

The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, has called on India to allow access to a UN fact finding mission to investigate human rights abuses in Kashmir

The Prime Minister will reinforce Pakistan’s call on the world body to play its role in immediately ending these grave violations. He is also expected to urge the international community to help in resolving the longstanding Kashmir dispute which is among the oldest items on the UN Agenda

Among his many engagements in New York he will also address a business meeting organized by the US-Pakistan Business Council and the US Chamber of Commerce. DNA