ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday called for a stronger role for the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), stressing that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained an unfinished agenda of the United Nations and the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination must not be sacrificed to geopolitical considerations.
Addressing a ceremony marking United Nations Day in Islamabad, Deputy PM Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the UN Charter, multilateralism and the peaceful settlement of disputes. He urged the international community to uphold the principles of justice, sovereign equality and self-determination amid escalating conflicts and growing geopolitical rivalries.
“Given the challenges facing our region, there is a need to further strengthen UNMOGIP’s role, alongside a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” Dar said.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 addressed a ceremony today to mark United Nations Day and the 81st anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force.
The DPM/FM reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism and the UN Charter. He stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful settlement of disputes, and appreciated the UN Country Team’s continued partnership with Pakistan.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 22, 2026
Deputy PM Dar said the world was confronting escalating conflicts, widening inequality and eroding trust, while food insecurity, climate change and geopolitical rivalries continued to undermine peace and development, particularly across the Global South.
He said long-standing disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, demonstrated that the promise of self-determination and justice remained unfulfilled for millions of people.
“The legitimate right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination must not be forgotten or subordinated to geopolitical considerations,” the Deputy PM said, describing the dispute as an unfinished agenda of the United Nations.
Highlighting Pakistan’s contribution to international peace and security, Dar said the country had remained a steadfast supporter of the United Nations since joining the organisation in 1947, contributing to international peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, development cooperation and the promotion of international law.
He noted that Pakistan was among the leading troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations and hosted one of the organisation’s oldest peacekeeping missions, UNMOGIP.
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Address by the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 on the occasion of United Nations Day
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 22, 2026
Pakistan’s Advocacy for Dialogue and Diplomacy
Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s role as an elected member of the UN Security Council, saying Islamabad had consistently advocated dialogue, diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes during its tenure.
He said the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2788, on strengthening mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes, during Pakistan’s presidency of the Council reflected its commitment to these principles.
The Deputy Prime Minister said Pakistan’s foreign policy, guided by the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was anchored in sovereign equality, non-interference, self-determination and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
“We have always chosen diplomacy over confrontation, engagement over isolation, and partnership over polarisation,” he said, calling for a more inclusive, representative and reformed multilateral system in which developing countries had a stronger voice in decisions affecting them.
Deputy PM Dar warned that the spirit of multilateralism that had guided the international system since 1945 was facing increasing strain, adding that the space for peace and development contracted whenever global cooperation faltered.
Reforms to International Financial Architecture
He also called for reforms to the international financial architecture to expand financing, ensure debt sustainability and enable developing countries to invest in their people.
While reaffirming Pakistan’s support for the United Nations’ UN80 initiative to improve the organisation’s efficiency and responsiveness, he stressed that maintaining international peace and security must remain its paramount responsibility amid heightened global instability.
He further emphasised the need to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly efforts to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality.
Referring to the recent visit of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to Pakistan from October 6 to 8, Deputy PM Dar said it reflected the longstanding cooperation between Pakistan and the United Nations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to the UN Charter.
He thanked UN Resident Coordinator Pernille Ironside and the UN Country Team for their continued partnership with Pakistan, commending UN agencies for their work in health, education, food security, disaster response and institutional development.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s enduring commitment to multilateralism and the UN Charter’s vision of peace, development and human dignity for all.
