NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, has urged the international community to implement long-standing UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir, warning that India’s recent actions following the Pahalgam incident have dangerously escalated regional tensions.
Speaking to the media following a rare in-camera session of the Security Council convened at Pakistan’s request, Ambassador Iftikhar said that the Kashmir dispute — unresolved for over 70 years — remains the “core issue” between Pakistan and India and must be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
“Durable peace in South Asia is not possible without resolving the Kashmir issue, and that resolution must involve the Kashmiri people,” he said, adding that the recent Indian steps have threatened not only regional but also global peace and security.
Ambassador Iftikhar also voiced Pakistan’s grave concern over what he described as the deteriorating human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), saying that innocent civilians continue to suffer at the hands of occupying forces. “The international community must not look away from the repression in Kashmir,” he said.
Responding to Indian allegations of Pakistani involvement in the Pahalgam incident, the ambassador reiterated Islamabad’s categorical denial and reaffirmed its offer to support a “transparent, impartial, and international investigation.” He reminded the world of Pakistan’s heavy sacrifices in the global fight against terrorism, including over 90,000 casualties.
“Pakistan has always chosen dialogue and diplomacy, not confrontation,” he said. “But we will not compromise on our sovereignty or territorial integrity.”
The ambassador also raised alarm over India’s move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a blatant breach of international law. “Weaponizing water is not only illegal but immoral,” he said, noting that the issue had been formally raised during the Security Council session.
He welcomed the UNSC’s willingness to listen to Pakistan’s concerns and said that the meeting underscored the urgency of re-engaging with the Kashmir issue at the highest diplomatic levels.
“The credibility of the Security Council rests on its willingness to uphold its own resolutions,” Iftikhar said, adding that peace can only come through justice, not unilateralism.
The UNSC meeting, chaired by Khaled Khiari, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, began with a detailed briefing on the current situation before Ambassador Iftikhar addressed the council.
As tensions remain high between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, Pakistan has intensified its diplomatic outreach, calling for international mediation and a renewed commitment to peace and justice in South Asia.
