*Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad*
*Permanent Representative of Pakistan*
*At the UN General Assembly – Veto Debate (Palestinian Question)*
*(1 October 2025)*
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Madam President,
1. We align ourselves with the statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Denmark on behalf of the 10 elected members of the Security Council including Pakistan, who jointly tabled the draft resolution that was vetoed. And that is the reason we are here. We greatly appreciate the role played by Denmark in coordinating the E-10.
2. We meet at a moment of deep concern and anguish. The Security Council, entrusted with primary responsibility to safeguard peace, once again failed to act when Gaza needed it most. A resolution intended to halt the carnage and deliver humanitarian relief was blocked — leaving millions to their unfortunate fate.
3. For the elected ten members of the Council, this was not routine diplomacy. It was an urgent effort to answer the cries of a people trapped in bombing, rubble, famine, and despair. The failure to move forward was bitterly disappointing. But paralysis in one chamber must not mean incapacity across the United Nations and the international community.
4. The truth is stark. Gaza has been pulverized. Families huddle under broken concrete, searching for children who will never return. Hunger stalks every street; famine has already taken hold in Gaza City and threatens to engulf Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. More than 66,000 Palestinians — the vast majority women and children — have been killed. Homes, schools, and hospitals have been deliberately wiped out. This is not war. It is the erasure of a people’s future. Israel, the occupying power, must be held fully accountable.
5. The anguish of Palestine has rightly been at the very heart of this year’s General Debate. Amid devastation, the voices of conscience have grown louder. The convening of the Two-State Solution Conference, the recognitions of Palestine by more states, and the rising calls worldwide for a ceasefire and a durable solution of the Palestinian question offer rays of hope in this darkness.
6. The recent consultations held by President Trump with the Arab and OIC leaders, the announcement of a plan by the U.S., are noteworthy developments that have been widely welcomed. We hope — cautiously but sincerely, that such initiatives can help deliver what is most urgently needed: an immediate ceasefire, an end to the war, unfettered humanitarian assistance, and, above all, a credible political horizon towards Palestinian statehood. Pakistan, as part of these consultations, will work to ensure that efforts are judged not by promises, but by results: stopping the killing, ending the occupation, reuniting families, rebuilding Gaza, and guaranteeing protection and dignity to the Palestinian people.
7. Let me note in this regard, that in a Joint Statement, the Foreign Ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt welcomed President Trump’s efforts, including his announcement that he would not allow the annexation of the West Bank, and reaffirmed their joint commitment to work with the United States to end the war in Gaza through a comprehensive deal, one that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid, prevents displacement of the Palestinians, secures the release of hostages, achieves full Israeli withdrawal, rebuilds Gaza, and creates a path for a just peace on the basis of the two-state solution, under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law, as key to achieving regional stability and security.
8. In line with these commitments, today, from this podium, we make five urgent calls:
i. An immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire across all Occupied Palestinian Territories;
ii. The lifting of the blockade and unfettered humanitarian access;
iii. The release of all hostages and Palestinian prisoners;
iv. A complete end to forced displacement, settlements, and any designs for annexation;
v. A credible, time-bound political process in line with international legitimacy, to establish an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
9. Palestinian people are the masters of their own destiny, and that destiny is freedom. Palestinians can no longer be denied their right to self-determination. Peace cannot be postponed any longer.
10. Pakistan will remain steadfast in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We will stand with all who seek justice, and we will work with all who strive for peace. Only through decisive and principled action can we restore faith in humanity and achieve the long coveted peace in the Middle East.
I thank you.
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