ISLAMABAD, Jun 12 (APP): Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia-Pacific), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Imran Ahmed Siddiqui, attended the senior officials meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) held in Kuala Lumpur and highlighted issues related to the security environment in South Asia.
In his remarks, Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia-Pacific), Siddiqui, drew attention of the senior officials to the security environment in South Asia, underscoring that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains the central impediment to regional peace. He rejected India’s baseless allegations following the 22 April Pahalgam incident and condemned its unprovoked military action on 7 May as a violation of international law. He reaffirmed that Pakistan’s response on 10 May was a legitimate and proportionate act of self-defence, limited to military targets and carefully avoiding civilian harm.
He further rejected the notion of a “new normal” premised on aggression and highlighted India’s unilateral holding in abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty as a grave breach of international obligations. Welcoming the recently agreed ceasefire, he reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and peaceful dispute resolution, with full respect for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
Outlining Pakistan’s holistic counter terrorism strategy, the Additional Secretary underscored Pakistan’s sacrifices and its focus on addressing root causes of terrorism such as poverty, injustice, and foreign occupation. He cautioned against the misuse of counter terrorism narratives to target Muslim communities and, in this context, expressed Pakistan’s concerns at the rising tide of Islamophobia. Expressing concern over terrorist activity emanating from the Afghan territory, he urged the international community to ensure Afghanistan’s soil is not used to threaten Pakistan’s security.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled support for the Palestinian people and condemned the ongoing occupation and violence against the Palestinians. On regional maritime issues, he called for restraint and dialogue in the South China Sea and reiterated Pakistan’s support for the One China Policy and non-interference in China’s internal affairs.
Underscoring the disproportionate impact of climate change on developing countries, he stressed the need for climate justice and called upon developed nations to fulfill their commitments on finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.
On the sidelines of the ARF SOM, Siddiqui held bilateral meetings with SOM heads of delegations from Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Japan and Australia, as well as with the Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN. The meetings focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, exchange of views on regional and global issues of mutual importance and Pakistan’s case for securing Full Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN.
ASEAN Regional Forum was established in 1994 as a regional security dialogue platform comprising 27 countries from Asia-Pacific, including 10 ASEAN members and other dialogue partners. Pakistan became the 24th member state in 1994.
