PM Imran to virtually address UN General Assembly session today

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will virtually address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session on Friday.

In his weekly briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said the Prime Minister, in his address, will share Pakistan’s perspective on various regional and international issues. He said the prime minister will once again raise the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

In his wide-ranging address, the prime minister will also share Pakistan’s successful handling of COVID-19 crisis and the debt relief initiative for developing countries and Islamophobia.

Yesterday Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed a high-level panel on Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity (FACTI) on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly session.

The prime minister called upon the world community to take stern measures to immediately stop the exploitation of developing countries by returning the ‘stolen assets’.

READ MORE: Stolen assets of developing countries must be returned: PM tells UN

He pointed out that billions of dollars illicitly flow out of developing countries each year. He proposed some recommendations to the international community to curb illicit financial flows. He said the stolen assets of developing countries including proceeds from corruption, bribery and other crimes must be returned immediately.

He said authorities in heaven destinations must impose strict penalties on those financial institutions which receive or utilise such illicit money and assets. The enablers of corruption and bribery such as accountants and lawyers and other intermediaries must be regulated and monitored closely, he added.

PM Imran Khan urged the UN to set up a mechanism to coordinate and supervise the work of the various official and non-official bodies dealing with illicit financial flaws to ensure coherence, consistency and equity in their work.

“Unless these steps are taken the difference between rich and poor countries will keep growing. The developing countries will get impoverished,” he concluded.