Islamabad, April 11, 2017: Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has said that the stalemate in Kashmir, Iraq, Palestine, and Libya raises pertinent questions about the role of United Nations in conflict resolution and the future of the world body dedicated to protection of human rights, equality, social progress and peace. He was speaking to Ms. Gerda Verburg, UN Assistant Secretary General and Global Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement who called on him at Parliament House, Islamabad on Tuesday.

He said that the downtrodden, under-nourished and poverty stricken peoplepin their hopes on United Nations which has yet to live upto its own charter. He highlighted that the UN stands as silent spectator while India renege on UN resolutions and launch violence, fake encounters, enforced disappearances, rape, murders, and the use of pellet guns against defenseless population as India’s officially sanctioned policy in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He remarked that “while the aggression and blatant violation of human rights in Kashmir to silence the voice for self-determination of Kashmiris continue unabated, the role of United Nations has been frustrating”.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq outlined that any double standard at UN forum will risk the future of international cooperation for peaceful resolution of conflicts and subsequently genuine human development. He underlined the need for justice and equality at UN forum and added that UN must not be utilized by certain states to torment others. Referring to the unending and vicious cycle of violence and instability in the Muslim world and the role of UN, the Speaker remarked that the failure of United Nations to prevent the invasion of Iraq and Libya under the false claims of ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ and subsequent mass destruction in the region caused by the invasion has discredited the world body.  He remarked that people have expressed immense skepticism about use of Chemical Weapons in Syria as well.

The Speaker underlined the need for a serious debate at UN forum on international support to Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Taliban and other such groups who disrupt the global peace and security. He added that UN is not just a debating club rather a world body committed and mandated to address pressing global challenges.

While discussing the SDGs, the Speaker underlined the need for a unified global action against malnutrition in all its forms and urged the United Nations Assistant Secretary General to expedite efforts for fast-tracking progress on achievement of the SDGs 2030 Agenda. He informed the dignitary that Pakistan’s parliament is first in the world to establish a dedicated SDGs Secretariat. The Speaker further added that Pakistan’s parliament is the first ‘green parliament’ in the world that provides surplus energy to the National Grid under the ‘Net-Metering’ license.

UN Assistant Secretary General and Global Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement congratulated the Speaker National Assembly on enabling Pakistan’s parliament to switch over to solar power for meeting its energy needs. She remarked that Pakistan’s parliament offers lessons for all parliaments to promote sustainable energy.

She assured the Speaker that United Nations is committed to scale up efforts in combating malnutrition, food insecurity and poverty across the globe. She further added that enhancing the capacity of the parliamentarians and parliamentary secretariat is highly imperative for accelerating progress on achievement of the SDGs.