Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very, very pleased to be here in Pakistan on my first visit as Secretary-General. I've had so many friends from Pakistan, and worked with so many, that indeed I feel like I am among friends already. Pakistan is an important country for the United Nations and is also one of our key contributors to UN peace-keeping operations. And we believe Pakistan can play a role in advancing regional stability, peace and development -- all of which are also priorities of the United Nations.

I look forward to discussing a wide range of issues during my visit here. I will encourage the leadership to continue along the path towards civilian rule, as they are doing, culminating in parliamentary elections next year. The United Nations is committed to promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law all around the world, and we stand ready to assist in any way we can in all these efforts.

I am personally extremely worried about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. It is causing immense suffering among a population, which has already experienced decades of deprivation caused by war and drought. Our most urgent priority is to provide the Afghan people, wherever they are, with aid and assistance, as soon as possible. I am looking forward to visiting refugee camps on the Afghan border, including Jalozai and Shamshatoo, to get a personal view of the crisis.

As you know, there is also enormous international concern over the decision of the Taliban leadership to destroy historic relics and monuments in Afghanistan, which are the common heritage of mankind. I know that the Pakistani authorities will do all in their power to convince the Taliban not to carry out this lamentable decision. I welcome the recent efforts by General Musharraf, the Chief Executive, and the Government of Pakistan in this regard.

I also expect that the Pakistani authorities will raise the issue of Kashmir. I would like to encourage progress in the relations between Pakistan and India, so important for the peoples of both countries, who have so much in common. I call upon both countries to return to the spirit of the Lahore Declaration. This will require restraint, wisdom and constructive steps from both sides. In this connection, I will also be urging both countries to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty as soon as possible.

We have much to discuss, and I look forward to using this opportunity to renew the bonds between Pakistan and the United Nations, and to make progress in the vital areas of peace and development. Thank you very much. I'll take some questions.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, in your remarks you have referred to the UN's interest in human rights all over the world. Could you tell us what specific steps the United Nations is going to take to stop the human rights violations in the part of Kashmir controlled by India and which have been verified by all the international agencies [which have said] that the human rights have been violated grossly in that part of the world?

SG: I believe that in my earlier remarks I did refer to Kashmir and my intentions vis-a-vis the two countries. I think that on the human rights issue, we have the Human Rights Commission, which has been very active in this area and has rapporteurs, who monitor situations around the world and report to the Commission in Geneva.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, you have referred to Kashmir as a source of tension and I think you also referred to the Lahore Declaration. Will the UN be interested to implement its resolutions like it implemented in East Timor?

SG: I think the UN resolutions on Kashmir are on record and the UN has observers in the region. We have UNMOGIP. In fact, the Chief Military Observer is here.

When it comes to implementation of resolutions, I think we have to be clear here. The UN has two types of resolutions -- enforcement resolutions under Chapter VII and other resolutions, which require cooperation of both parties to get implemented. East Timor is a Chapter VII resolution. One often refers to Iraq. Iraq is a Chapter VII resolution. The resolution you are referring to here does not come under Chapter VII in the same sense. And these resolutions are not self-enforcing. And therefore, the cooperation of the two parties, the two parties discussing these issues and finding a peaceful way out, is the route I recommend.

Q: [inaudible] ... Afghan Taliban may be come up with some message for them. Or do you have any proposals to resolve the Osama bin Laden problem?

SG: I will be seeing the "Foreign Minister" [of the Taliban] here and I will have the chance to discuss any these matters with him in detail, but let me perhaps dissuade any misapprehension that may exist. I have not come with any magic formulas or special formulas with regard to Osama bin Laden.

On the humanitarian issue, we have some concrete ideas to discuss with him.

Q: I want to ask - do you have some fresh proposals on the Osama bin Laden issue from your side, or from the Taliban side for your meeting tomorrow? And my second question is: do you have any proposals with regard to this statue issue?

SG: I think this is an issue I will be discussing with the Foreign Minister. He may have surprises for me and I would know better once I have seen him. And, by the way, let me say that the Secretary-General does not appoint rapporteurs. The rapporteurs are appointed by the Human Rights Commission, which is an inter-Governmental body. It is the Governments, who appoint these rapporteurs, and I think this has to be clear.

Spokesman: The Secretary-General has had a long trip. If we can take one more question, and then break it off.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, do you think the UN Security-Council sanctions on the Taliban regime have an effect on the economic situation, on the crisis that is prevailing over there? This is what the Taliban have been saying. Do you think there is a link between the two?

SG: Well, what we are trying to do as Secretary-General, as Secretariat, we are very actively trying to get help to the Afghan people. We have make an appeal and just before I left New York, we had a meeting with 24 Governments, asking them to step up their assistance -- in financial and material terms -- so that we can give aid to the Afghan people. The situation is tragic, it is desperate. I have people on the ground and I have received their reports. Some of them are here to meet me this evening, and that is one of the reasons I want to go and see the situation for myself, and also press the international community to give and give generously, particularly those with capacity to give.

Q: But don't you see the nexus between the sanctions and the situation over there?

SG: Well, I think whenever you have these sanctions, this is often the problem. We have argued that sanctions can be a blunt instrument, and sometimes it can have unexpected impact on the innocent population -- whether it is in Iraq, or elsewhere. So, these are aspects of sanctions that the Council itself has become sensitive to and they are trying to find ways of mitigating this aspect of sanctions. But what is clear is that the Council will tell you that the people of Afghanistan are not the intended targets of the sanctions. Thank you very much.*****