OTTAWA, Jun 3 (APP): High Commissioner of Pakistan to Canada Muhammad Saleem on Tuesday called on Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development) in the Global Affairs Canada.
In the meeting, they discussed enhancing Pakistan-Canada relations and expanding opportunities for Canada’s ongoing development cooperation programs and building partnerships with Pakistan.
The high commissioner highlighted the potential for trade, investment and development of agriculture, energy, ICT, mining and mineral, and tourism sectors for mutual benefit.
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 03 (APP): Former Foreign Minister of Germany Annalena Baerbock has been elected as president of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, which will begin in September.
Ms. Baerbock will replace Philemon Yang, the current president of the 193-member Assembly, who “wholeheartedly” congratulated her.
“I warmly congratulate Her Excellency, Annalena Baerbock on her election as the next president of the United Nations General Assembly. It is fitting that in this milestone 80th year of the General Assembly, leadership should fall to someone whose career has been defined by an unwavering commitment to multilateralism,” Yang said.
Ms. Baerbock conveyed her gratitude for the “overwhelming support” from the member states for being elected.
She polled 167 votes, almost double the 88 votes needed to win, while high-ranking diplomat Helga Schmid, also from Germany, received 7 votes as a write-in candidate and 14 countries abstained.
Germany had nominated Ms. Schmid for the Assembly presidency but replaced her with Ms. Baerbock after she lost her post as the country’s foreign affairs chief in the recent election. The decision drew some criticism in Germany.
When Ms. Baerbock appeared before the assembly to discuss her candidacy on May 15, Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky lashed into her, saying: “Ms. Baerbock has repeatedly proved her incompetence, extreme bias and lack of understanding of the basic principles of diplomacy.”
Polyansky accused her of having pursued an “anti-Russia policy,” which he said gave Russia reason to doubt that as General Assembly president, she would be “able to act in the interests of peace and dialogue.”
Ms.Baerbock rejected the Russian criticism.
“I am grateful … the overwhelming majority of member states have voted in favor of my candidacy and I’m looking forward to work with all member states together in these challenging times,” she said
In her remarks, Ms. Baerbock also expressed a commitment to serving everyone.
“My first key objective will be to support member states to renew, to refocus and to make our organization fit for purpose, fit for the 21st century,” she said.
As her second priority, Baerbock emphasized the importance of “the Pact for the Future.”
“It is key to further strengthen the role of the General Assembly with regard to peace and security matters in close cooperation with the Security Council and the Peace Building Commission,” she said, adding that her third priority “is a United Nations that embraces everyone.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, for his part, highlighted the ongoing global challenges and stressed that “mistrust and divisions are rife.”
“Our institutions and structures still reflect the world of yesterday, not a vision of tomorrow. This is a moment for us to unite, to forge common solutions, and to take action to confront these challenges,” Guterres said.
Expressing “full support” to Ms. Baerbock, the UN chief hailed her previous government and diplomatic experience.
“And let us not forget the historic significance of her being only the fifth woman to be elected President of the General Assembly,” he added.
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 03 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the reported Israeli killing and injury of Palestinians seeking food aid in Gaza on Sunday, calling for an investigation into the matter.
More than 30 people were killed and over 100 wounded while waiting in the morning to get food from two sites in Rafah and Middle Gaza run by the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to media reports.
The organization is backed by Israel and the United States and uses private US security contractors supervised by the Israeli military. Aid distributions began at the end of May, bypassing the UN and other humanitarian agencies.
The UN chief issued a statement on Monday saying he was “appalled” by the reports.
“It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,” he said.
“I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.”
He stressed that Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to agree to and facilitate humanitarian aid.
“The unimpeded entry of assistance at scale to meet the enormous needs in Gaza must be restored immediately,” he said.
“The UN must be allowed to work in safety and security under conditions of full respect of humanitarian principles.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General continues to call for an immediate, permanent, sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
“This is the only path to ensuring security for all. There is no military solution to the conflict,” he insisted.
The UN has repeatedly called for the full lifting of restrictions on aid and other essentials to meet the immense needs in the Gaza Strip, where more than two million people are at risk of famine following some 20 months of war and a near-total three-month aid blockade.
Israel recently lifted the ban temporarily, allowing UN agencies to bring in limited quantities of baby formula, flour, medicines and other assistance through the Kerem Shalom border crossing until the GHF became operational.
The Secretary-General and other senior officials have repeatedly stated that the UN will not participate in any aid plan that does not respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.
The UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA said on Monday that the situation on the ground continues to worsen by the day, pointing to the mass casualties at the two distribution sites as well as ongoing attacks against health facilities.
The Noura Al Kaabi Centre for dialysis in North Gaza was reportedly hit on Sunday, the agency said. Moreover, the Gaza health authorities report that 40 per cent of dialysis patients in the enclave have died since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023 because centres were either struck or unreachable.
“As hostilities continue, people have once again been forced to flee,” OCHA said.
On Saturday, Israel issued another displacement order in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah, affecting around 100,000 people living in more than 200 displacement sites.
Humanitarians estimate that since 18 March, more than 640,000 people have been displaced in Gaza, or nearly a third of the population.
“The latest displacement order also deprived at least 8,000 students of learning, as tens of functioning temporary learning spaces and a dozen public schools had to suspend their operations,” OCHA added.
The UN and partners continue efforts to identify and treat malnutrition whenever possible and as dwindling supplies allow, distributing supplements to about 40,000 children last week despite severe challenges and restrictions on humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, looting incidents continue to be reported amid the deprivation, hunger and lack of adequate food distribution.
“The vast majority are people taking flour directly from open trucks, out of clear desperation. However, humanitarian teams have also started observing some criminal looting again,” OCHA said.
Gazans also continue to be plagued by frequent water shortages. For example, the pipeline in Deir Al-Balah, which supplied at least 12,000 cubic metres every day, is still not operational.
“Humanitarians’ attempts to carry out coordinated missions to repair it have been denied,” said OCHA, noting that on Monday, Israel also denied five missions to distribute potable water in displacement camps in Jabaliya, located in North Gaza.
OCHA added that over the weekend, the UN and partners kept working to bring supplies through the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing.
More than 100 truckloads of food and medical supplies were picked up on Saturday and Sunday, bringing to more than 300 the number of truckloads collected from the Gaza side of the crossing since it was reopened.
“Today, one of our attempts to collect supplies from Kerem Shalom was denied. Another was still ongoing, awaiting a green light from Israeli authorities, a pause in the bombing along the route, and the allocation of a viable path,” the agency said.
OCHA stressed that “even when the crossing is open, severe restrictions on what humanitarians can bring in – both in terms of volume and variety – mean that the supplies currently entering Gaza are still just a trickle and fall far short of what people need.”
ISLAMABAD, Jun 03 (APP): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, calling the country’s self-reliance linked with affordable electricity and agriculture, directed the authorities concerned to ensure early completion of Diamer Bhasha Dam by removing all impediments.
The prime minister, chairing a meeting on the construction of Diamer Bhasha Dam and the other matters of water resources, said that building new dams was crucial to enhance water storage capacity, ensure water supply for agriculture, and prevent floods.
He said that the country’s self-dependence was linked with affordable electricity and agriculture, which required increased water storage and efficient water usage.
The prime minister directed prioritizing the completion of projects like Diamer Bhasha Dam to establish an effective system for energy production and abundant water storage.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Engineer Amir Muqam, Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Moeen Wattoo, Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Gulbar Khan, and relevant senior government officials.
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 03 (APP): The high-level Pakistani parliamentary delegation, led by PPP Chairman and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, briefed members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the UN on the grave developments in South Asia following India’s military aggression and its baseless accusations against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.
Addressing the OIC Permanent Representatives, Bilawal categorically rejected India’s attempt to link Pakistan to the Pahalgam incident without any credible investigation or evidence, according to a press release issued by Pakistan Mission to the UN.
He also highlighted that the hasty attribution of blame was used as a pretext for unlawful military actions, including cross-border strikes, which targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Bilawal expressed grave concern at the unilateral suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty — a move that Pakistan considers a blatant act of weaponizing water and a violation of international and treaty obligations. He made it clear that Pakistan cannot allow this to become a new normal. He stressed that due to India’s belligerent aggression, the world had become a less safe place, with real and present implications for peace and security in South Asia.
The former foreign minister thanked the OIC countries for their efforts and role aimed at de-escalation, mediation and ceasefire. He underscored that the only path to peace is dialogue, engagement and diplomacy. Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to peace, restraint, and diplomacy, he called for the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty, full respect for the ceasefire, and the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue with India, with the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute at its core.
The delegation leader underlined that OIC has emerged as the moral conscience of the world in these difficult times and thanked the OIC member states for their steadfast support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains pivotal to the establishment of lasting peace in South Asia.
He urged the OIC member states to continue their principled support for the legitimate rights of the Kashmiri people, particularly their right to self-determination as enshrined in UN Security Council resolutions.
The Permanent Representatives of OIC countries expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s transparent and timely briefing and reaffirmed their solidarity with Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir, according to the press release. They reiterated their concern over the worsening security situation in South Asia and stressed the importance of upholding the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and in this regard, the sanctity of treaties, including the Indus Water Treaty.
The OIC countries welcomed Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy for the resolution of all disputes, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 03 (APP): The PPP Chairman and former Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Monday urged the United States to play its role in ensuring comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan to address all outstanding issues when the acting US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, called on him to discuss recent developments in South Asia.
In this regard, Bilawal, who is leading a nine-member high-level parliamentary delegation, also underscored the need for dealing with India’s move to hold in abeyance the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, saying it amounted to the weaponization of water, according to a press release of the Pakistan Mission to the UN.
The delegation— consisting of three former foreign ministers, two former foreign secretaries, two former ambassadors to the US, and a serving federal minister — arrived in New York over the weekend for consultations at the United Nations.
During the meeting with the US envoy, Bilawal expressed gratitude to the U.S. Administration, in particular President Donald Trump for facilitating the ceasefire between Pakistan and India.
He briefed Ambassador Shea on the developments following the Pahalgam attack of 22 April 2025, expressing deep concern over India’s immediate attribution of blame to Pakistan without any credible investigation or verifiable evidence.
The delegation leader emphasized that such premature and baseless allegations exacerbate tensions and undermine prospects for constructive dialogue and peace. Pakistan, he said, had been at the forefront in the fight against terrorism and has made big sacrifices in this fight.
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 02 (APP): The Permanent Representative of Russian Federation, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, called on the high-level parliamentary delegation of Pakistan, led by Chairman Pakistan People’s Party and former Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Bilawal briefed the Russian envoy on the situation following the Pahalgam attack, rejecting India’s baseless accusations against Pakistan, without any evidence, and highlighting its premature and unilateral actions, including the holding in abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty, according to a press release of the Pakistan Mission to the UN.
He noted that Pakistan’s measured and proportionate response — guided by restraint and international law — was aimed at preserving regional peace and avoiding a wider conflict. He underlined that Pakistan was the biggest victim of terrorism in which more than 80,000 civilians have lost their lives. He also apprised regarding India’s sponsorship of terrorism inside Pakistan.
Bilawal underscored that durable peace in the region hinges on the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with international law.
Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Musadik Malik apprised regarding humanitarian implications of holding in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty and stressed that there was no clause in the treaty to suspend it.
Highlighting Pakistan’s mature and restrained approach, the delegation reiterated the country’s commitment to peace, dialogue, and regional stability, the press release added.
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