Key points
- Pakistan urges all parties to return to dialogue
- Accountability is essential for stability: Ambassador Ahmad
- Says selectivity and double standards discredit global justice system
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has said that the protected conflict has caused unimaginable suffering to the people of Sudan, stating that the people, who were being persecuted 20 years ago – when the Security Council sent the reference to the ICC, are still suffering.
Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN,
At the Security Council (ICC Briefing on Darfur Region – Sudan)
(10th July 2025)
****I would like to join colleagues in thanking Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan for her briefing… pic.twitter.com/mcu3QqXThw
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) July 10, 2025
Delivering a national statement at the UN Security Council briefing on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) 41st report on Darfur (Sudan) today, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, stated that despite the ICC referral over two decades ago, atrocities in Darfur continue, said a press release issued by The Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations (Information Section) on Thursday.
Still await justice
Ambassador Ahmad said that victims, such as those in Zamzam camp, still await justice, demanding that the perpetrators must be held accountable.
Reaffirming its commitment to justice, accountability, and sustainable peace in Sudan, Ambassador Ahmad said that the pursuit of transitional justice cannot be separated from the process of stabilizing the country. He asked the international community to prioritise strengthening Sudan’s national justice institutions through technical and other support, enabling them to prosecute the offenders, and ensuring that transitional justice becomes the foundation for sustainable peace in Sudan.
“Cooperation between the ICC and the Sudanese government must engender a holistic approach to accountability that respects complementarity and national sovereignty,” he said.
Jeddah Declaration
Calling for ceasefire and humanitarian access, Pakistan urged all parties to return to dialogue and honour their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian relief reaches those in need.
He demanded that the blatant violations of International Humanitarian Law with impunity must end.
For the Sudanese people, there must be hope, light at the end of the tunnel, he said.
Ambassador Ahmad emphasised that accountability is essential for stability, and underlined the need for enhanced support to Sudan’s national justice institutions. He said that a balanced approach, respecting Sudan’s sovereignty and complementarity with the ICC, is critical for transitional justice.
Ambassador Ahmad reiterated Pakistan’s consistent stance that international justice must be applied uniformly. “Selectivity and double standards,” he warned, “discredit the global justice system.”
The Pakistan UN Ambassador called on the Security Council to urgently pursue a ceasefire and political settlement in Sudan, while fully upholding the country’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Pakistan reaffirmed its unwavering support for global efforts to uphold international law and end impunity for crimes against humanity—whether in Darfur or elsewhere.
