New York, September 26, 2026 — The Europe Today: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to extending full diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir until they are able to exercise what Pakistan describes as their inalienable right to self-determination.
Addressing the General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, the Prime Minister said Pakistan would continue to support the Kashmiri people and called for a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
Referring to the 2025 military confrontation between Pakistan and India, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan had exercised its right of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter following what he described as external aggression by India.
He praised Pakistan’s armed forces for their response and credited US President Donald Trump’s intervention with helping prevent further escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. He stressed that South Asia must not again reach the brink of an all-out conflict and said this required addressing the Kashmir dispute.
The Prime Minister said the Kashmiri people had awaited for decades for the United Nations to fulfil what Pakistan considers its commitment to a free and impartial plebiscite. He also alleged that Kashmiris had faced serious human rights violations and expressed concern over what he described as attempts to alter the demographic and legal character of Jammu and Kashmir.
Turning to water security, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Indus River system was vital to Pakistan and the wider region. He rejected India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, describing it as having no legal basis.
He said Pakistan’s position that the treaty remains valid, binding and operative had been supported, in Islamabad’s view, by the positions of UN experts and the Court of Arbitration. The Prime Minister stressed that water should not be used as an instrument of conflict and called for rivers to remain a source of sustenance and cooperation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the Indus waters would be treated by Pakistan as an “act of war,” adding that India should take note of Islamabad’s position.
The Prime Minister’s address formed part of Pakistan’s broader presentation of its positions on regional security, Kashmir, water security and international diplomacy at the 81st UN General Assembly. Pakistan had earlier said its participation in the session would focus on dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful resolution of conflicts, alongside issues including development, climate change, terrorism and Islamophobia.
