Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir has called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to rally the international community for the prompt cessation of hostilities in Gaza, emphasising that the lasting solution to the crises lies in a “two-state solution,” according to the military’s media affairs wing.

The remarks were conveyed by the army chief during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Friday.

This visit marks the army chief’s inaugural trip to the United States since assuming office in Nov 2022. During the ongoing visit, the COAS has met prominent government and military figures, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defence (retired) General Lloyd J. Austin, Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer, and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown.

In a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) today, Gen Munir called on Guterres at the UN Headquarters in New York, where he was warmly welcomed.

The statement said the UN chief “appreciated the contributions made by Pakistan Army and contingents of the law enforcement agencies who have remained committed to the peace and stability of the world”.

In addressing the Gaza issue, the statement, which did not mention Israel, quoted the army chief as reaffirming Pakistan’s stance on Palestine.

He urged the UNSG to mobilise the international community for an immediate halt to hostilities in Gaza, preventing a humanitarian tragedy. He also emphasised that a lasting solution lied in the two-state solution.

“The COAS particularly shared deep concerns over the plight of the innocent civilians who are being brutally targeted and are not being provided with sufficient humanitarian relief,” the statement added.

Emphasising the Kashmir issue, Gen Munir stated that peace in South Asia would remain unattainable until a resolution aligns with UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

He also condemned “illegal Indian efforts to change the status of Jammu and Kashmir”, deeming it a violation of UNSC resolutions.

Guterres acknowledged the concerns and thanked Gen Munir for the visit to the UN Headquarters, the statement added.

A Dawn report cited diplomatic sources as saying that — during the meeting with the UN chief — the COAS conveyed Pakistan’s concerns over the situation in India-held Kashmir and Afghanistan.

Pakistan is particularly concerned about the Indian Supreme Court’s decision to endorse the merger of occupied Kashmir and wants the UN to fulfil its pledge to enable Kashmiris to decide their future through a plebiscite, it added.

Pakistan has also been alarmed by a sudden increase in militant attacks and is seeking international support to end the “cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan”.