ISLAMABAD: In his meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres this week, army chief General Syed Asim Munir urged him to mobilize the international community to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, Pakistan army’s media wing said on Saturday.
General Munir arrived in Washington on Tuesday on his first official visit to the US since he became Pakistan’s army chief in November 2022. He discussed a range of mutual interest affairs, including regional security and ongoing conflicts, in his meetings with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and other top American officials on Friday.
Munir met Guterres at the UN Headquarters in New York, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, adding that the UN chief “warmly welcomed” the Pakistan army chief’s visit.
“COAS [chief of army staff] reiterated Pakistan’s stance on the Palestine issue and urged the UNSG to mobilize the international community for immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza,” the ISPR said.
Munir called on the UN chief to mobilize international support to end the “unfolding human tragedy” in Palestine, saying that a sustainable solution for the Israel-Palestine crisis lay in a two-state solution.
“COAS particularly shared deep concerns over the plight of the innocent civilians who are being brutally targeted and are not being provided with sufficient humanitarian relief,” the army’s media wing said.
Munir also discussed Pakistan’s dispute with India over the Himalayan Kashmir region. He told Guterres that peace in South Asia would remain “elusive” until the longstanding Kashmir dispute is not resolved in accordance with the UN Security Council’s resolutions.
Over 18,000 Palestinian men, women and children have been killed in Gaza since October 7 by Israeli armed forces. Israel says its attacks are in retaliation for a full-pronged attack launched by Hamas on October 7 in which over 1,200 Israelis were reportedly killed and hundreds taken hostage.
