UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday discussed the growing tensions in South Asia amid a standoff between Pakistan and India after a deadly attack in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan reiterated its commitment to peaceful engagement and dialogue with India.
Briefing the media after the UNSC session, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar said that the country’s objectives were largely achieved by a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting.
The UN Security Council session was convened at Pakistan’s request to discuss the standoff between Pakistan and India.
Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to remaining peaceful and open to dialogue.
“Several [council] members recognised the imperative of peacefully resolving all issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” Iftikhar said.
“There was also a clear sense that regional stability cannot be sustained through unilateralism, it requires principled diplomacy, engagement and adherence to international law.”
Pakistan’s permanent representative noted that peace “does not happen in a vacuum” and highlighted some of the key points discussed during the moot.
“We expressed grave concern over India’s recent unilateral measures, particularly the illegal actions of April 23, military buildup and inflammatory statements,” he said.
“These actions, alongside credible evidence of potential escalation, have dangerously raised tensions.”
“Pakistan does not seek confrontation [but] we are fully prepared to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. When peace is threatened in a region home to one-fourth of humanity, it becomes a global issue,” he noted.
Iftikhar highlighted that Pakistan “categorically rejected” India’s allegations that it was responsible for the Pahalgam attack, which was condemned by Pakistan and “all council members”.
“What India is claiming is nothing but recycled allegations, unsubstantiated, unverified [and] designed to serve its political interest and strategic objectives, which include trying to divert attention from repression and human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir and to undermine the legitimate Kashmiri struggle for self-determination,” he said.
Iftikhar also raised India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which he noted was brokered by the World Bank and “upheld during wars”.
“Water is life, not a weapon,” he said. “These rivers sustain over 240 million Pakistanis. Any attempt to disrupt their flow constitutes aggression, and allowing such a precedent would endanger every lower riparian state.”
According to Iftikhar, the council was reminded that the Kashmir issue was the core contributor to instability in South Asia.
“The Kashmiri people continue to face gross human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, demolition of homes — that we are seeing now — restrictions on expression and media and a systematic denial of their right to self-determination,” he lamented.
“Lasting peace in South Asia requires that the UNSC implements its own resolutions, which includes the holding of a UN-supervised plebiscite for Kashmiris to determine their own future,” he stated.
The ambassador added that Pakistan called out India’s “weaponisation of disinformation [and] efforts to malign Pakistan”.
“We reminded the UNSC that Pakistan has been a frontline state in the war on terror, sacrificing over 19,000 lives along with immense economic setbacks,” he said.
“India’s attempts to distort this reality, while ignoring its own destabilising actions and involvement in terrorism abroad, including the case of Kulbushan Jadhav and extraterritorial assassinations, must be met with truth, transparency and accountability.”
Iftikhar continued: “We reiterated our commitment to peaceful, cooperative relations with all our neighbours, including India. We remain open to dialogue based on mutual respect and sovereign equality.”
The ambassador added that Pakistan reiterated its call for a “transparent, neutral and credible investigation” of the Pahalgam attack.
“While we pursue peace, we will defend our interests and safeguard our sovereignty resolutely, and at all costs. We urge the UNSC and the secretary general to remain actively engaged in peacemaking and preventative diplomacy,” he said.
“The role of the council is not just to observe conflict from a far, but to prevent it through timely and principled action. Peace must be built through dialogue, engagement and respect for international law. India’s current posture reflects none of these,” Iftikhar said.
“The burden of peace must be shared — the people of Kashmir have waited far too long for justice, and the people of Pakistan will not stand by while their rights — to water, to peace, to sovereignty — are threatened,” he added.
“In view of the gravity of the situation, the calls for dialogue, de-escalation, and peaceful resolution of disputes, such as by the secretary general and what we heard from the council members today, are the most pertinent and the way forward for lasting peace and stability in the region,” he concluded.
At the start of the Security Council’s session, Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific briefed the member states, diplomats said as cited by APP.
He was followed by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan, which requested the meeting.
UN chief calls for ‘maximum restraint’
Earlier, ahead of the 15-member body’s meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “maximum restraint” from India and Pakistan, warning that escalating tensions over a recent deadly terror attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) risk spiralling into outright military confrontation.
Addressing journalists outside the Security Council, Guterres expressed deep concern over deteriorating relations between the two South Asian neighbours, saying they had reached “their highest in years.”
He reiterated his condemnation of the 22 April terror attack in the Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Targeting civilians is unacceptable – and those responsible must be brought to justice through credible and lawful means,” the UN chief said.
“It is also essential – especially at this critical hour – to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control.”
“Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink,” Guterres said.
The UN chief also called Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the prevailing security situation in South Asia, according to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
It added that this was the second telephone conversation between the two leaders within a week.
PM Shehbaz appreciated the UN chief’s continued engagement and outreach efforts and welcomed his call for de-escalation as well as the need to avoid any confrontation.
“While reiterating his offer of an independent, transparent, neutral and credible investigation, the prime minister expressed his concern that India was yet to provide any evidence, nevertheless, it continued to resort to provocative rhetoric and warmongering,” the statement said.
The premier reiterated Pakistan’s determination to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
PM Shehbaz also expressed his serious concern at Indian attempts to politicise international financial institutions in an attempt to harm Pakistan’s economic interests.
The UN chief briefed the prime minister on his outreach efforts for peace and stability in the region, and expressed his commitment to remain engaged with all interlocutors on the issue.
Matter of grave concern
According to the President of the UN Security Council, the growing conflict in South Asia is a matter of grave concern.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office stated that India’s aggressive actions are endangering peace and security not only in South Asia but beyond.
Pakistan briefed the UN Security Council on the latest developments in the region, highlighting India’s provocative military posture, inflammatory statements, and in particular, its unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, which Pakistan deems illegal.
The Foreign Office noted that this diplomatic engagement is part of Islamabad’s broader efforts to present the true facts to the international community and counter India’s narrative with lawful and evidence-based arguments.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting facilitated a visit for Pakistani and international media to the Line of Control (LoC).
The purpose of this visit was to expose India’s baseless and fabricated propaganda regarding so-called and imaginary “terrorist camps” in Pakistan, said a statement on Saturday.
Pakistan, India standoff
The UN Security Council session was convened to discuss the prevailing tensions in South Asia amid a standoff between Pakistan and India in the wake of the attack on tourists in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The April 22 attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. India swiftly implied “cross-border linkages” of the attackers without investigation or any credible evidence.
Pakistan has condemned the attack and firmly rejected the Indian claim. Pakistan also repeatedly called for a neutral, transparent, and independent international probe into the incident.
Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces as it expected an incursion and India’s premier granting “operational freedom” to his military. As temperatures remain high, diplomatic channels have remained engaged to prevent conflict.
Acting on a global level, Islamabad had decided to seek the immediate session of the UNSC to apprise world powers about the recent tensions with India.
