Islamabad, 4 July 2025(Ghufran): The 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is being held in Khankendi, Republic of Azerbaijan today. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, is leading the Pakistan delegation to the Summit. The theme of the Summit is “New ECO Vision for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future.”
During the Summit, the Prime Minister will share Pakistan’s perspective on key regional and global challenges, reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to the ECO Vision 2025, and advocate for enhanced intra-regional trade, transport connectivity, energy cooperation, and sustainable development. He will also hold bilateral meetings with other ECO leaders on the sidelines of the Summit to discuss matters of mutual interest.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, held telephonic conversation with the Foreign Minister of Turkiye, Hakan Fidan.
The leaders discussed bilateral & multilateral cooperation, recent regional developments, and the forthcoming ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) scheduled to be held on 10-11 July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Pakistan has assumed the Presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of July 2025. Pakistan undertakes this responsibility with a deep sense of purpose, humility and conviction. Our approach will continue to remain anchored in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect for international law, and a steadfast commitment to multilateralism.
As a country that has consistently advocated dialogue and diplomacy, Pakistan brings to the Security Council an objective, principled and balanced perspective shaped by its foreign policy, past experience at the Council and its long-standing contributions to the maintenance of international peace and security including through UN peacekeeping and peace-building efforts.
In preparing the Council’s Programme of Work for July, Pakistan has pursued a transparent, balanced and consultative approach. We are mindful of the multiple, interlocking challenges to international peace and security across Middle East, South Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and other regions. The immense human cost of these crises demands a Security Council that is responsive, credible, and effective.
During its Presidency, Pakistan will promote substantive and action-oriented deliberations. Inclusive engagement will be ensured and constructive dialogue fostered across all agenda items. Pakistan remains committed to serving as a bridge between the Security Council and the broader UN membership, guided by the belief that maintenance of international peace and security is a shared responsibility.
The Presidency will convene two high-level signature events during July: an open debate on “Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes”, to be held on 22 July; and a briefing on “Cooperation between the United Nations and Regional and Sub-Regional Organizations: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)”, scheduled for 24 July. Both meetings will be chaired by Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan, who will also preside over quarterly open debate on the Question of Palestine on 23 July 2025.
Pakistan looks forward to working closely with all Council members to promote timely and united action, in line with the Council’s Charter responsibilities and the expectations of the international community.
The Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, has been elected as President of the 53rd session of the Industrial Development Board. This is the first time Pakistan has been honoured with this prestigious position. The Director General of UNIDO, while congratulating Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, praised Pakistan’s commitment and contribution to the organization. Ambassador Kamran Akhtar, in his statement, thanked all UNIDO Member States for their trust and expressed his commitment towards further enhancing the Organization’s role in industrial development, particularly in developing countries, LDCs, and SIDS.
In a Supplemental Award announced on 27 June 2025, the Court of Arbitration hearing the Pakistan-India dispute over Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects has found that its competence remains intact, and that it has a continuing responsibility to advance these proceedings in a timely, efficient, and fair manner.
The Court of Arbitration decided to announce this Supplemental Award in the wake of India’s illegal and unilateral announcement to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. Pakistan welcomes this Supplemental Award.
The Award vindicates Pakistan’s position that the Indus Waters Treaty remains valid and operational, and that India has no right to take a unilateral action about it. We urge India to immediately resume the normal functioning of the Indus Waters Treaty, and fulfill its treaty obligations, wholly and faithfully.
The Fifth Round of Pakistan-China Consultations on Multilateral Issues was held on 26th June 2025 in Beijing.
Special Secretary (UN), Ambassador Nabeel Munir led Pakistan’s delegation while the Chinese side was led by Director General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Ambassador Shen Bo.
During the consultations, the two sides exchanged views on a broad spectrum of issues pertaining to the United Nations, in particular matters related to regional and international peace and security on the agenda of the UN Security Council and expressed satisfaction at the strong convergence of views on all issues of mutual concern. They further reiterated their commitment to continue working together for strengthening multilateral institutions, especially the United Nations.
Separately, the Special Secretary (UN), Ambassador Nabeel Munir also held a meeting with the Vice Foreign Minister, Miao Deyu, on the sideline of the consultations. Recalling the unparalleled Pakistan-China strategic partnership, the two sides expressed the desire to continue working together to take the historic relations between the two countries to new heights.
On 1st July 2025, Pakistan and India exchanged, through diplomatic channels, the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody. The exchange of lists took place in pursuance of the Agreement on Consular Access, 2008. The Agreement requires both sides to share the lists of prisoners in each other’s custody on 1st January and 1st July, every year.
The Government of Pakistan handed over a list of 246 Indian or believed-to-be-Indian prisoners (53 civilian prisoners and 193 fishermen) to the representative of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad. Simultaneously, the Government of India shared a list of 463 Pakistani or believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners (382 civilian prisoners and 81 fishermen) to our diplomat from the High Commission of Pakistan, New Delhi.
The Government of Pakistan has called for immediate release and repatriation of all those Pakistani prisoners and fishermen, who have completed their respective sentence and whose national status stands confirmed. A request for special consular access has also been made for all believed-to-be-Pakistani prisoners, including the physically- and mentally challenged prisoners for expeditious confirmation of their national status.
The Government of India has been urged to provide consular access to all those prisoners to whom consular access is still awaited. The Indian side has also been urged to ensure safety, security, and well-being of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian custody.
The Government of Pakistan remains committed to addressing humanitarian matters as a priority. It will continue its endeavors to ensure early return of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails.
From time to time, we have been inviting the international community’s attention towards the plight of the Kashmiri political prisoners, languishing in various jails in India and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). These prisoners include a prominent Kashmiri leader, Mr. Shabbir Ahmed Shah, who has spent more than half of his 72 years’ life in different jails. He has been incarcerated in New Delhi’s Tihar jail for past eight years. While he has already been suffering from different ailments, Mr. Shah has now been diagnosed with a prostate cancer. Evidently, this serious disease cannot be treated in the environment of a prison. However, an Indian court has recently denied bail to Mr. Shabbir Ahmed Shah. His family is also unable to suitably attend him during these difficult moments. We urge the Indian authorities to immediately release Mr. Shabbir Ahmed Shah in view of his medical condition.