- Envoy says UN principles must not bend to ‘political expediency or selectivity’
- Tells UNSC Kashmiris still await UN-promised right to self-determination, warning erosion of Council decisions undermines faith in multilateral system
- Calls for credible two-state solution with Al-Quds as capital of independent Palestine
NEW YORK: Pakistan on Friday made a forceful call for the faithful observance of the United Nations Charter principles—self-determination, sovereign equality, non-use of force, non-interference in internal affairs, territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes—stressing that these must never be compromised for political expediency or selective application.
“Nowhere is selective application more glaring than in the denial of justice to the peoples of Palestine and Kashmir,” Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, told the UN Security Council during a special session commemorating 80 years of the United Nations’ founding.
He reminded the Council that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, one of the oldest issues on the Council’s agenda, remained unresolved despite multiple Security Council resolutions guaranteeing the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination through a UN-supervised plebiscite.
“The Kashmiris rightfully look up to the international community, and particularly this Council, to deliver what was promised to them decades ago,” he said, adding that under Article 25 of the Charter, member states were obliged to implement the Council’s decisions. “Yet their continued disregard erodes trust in the multilateral system.”
The ambassador’s remarks on the Kashmir dispute prompted a response from his Indian counterpart, Parvathaneni Harish, who claimed the disputed territory was an integral part of India.
Pakistan’s Gul Qaiser Sarwani, Counsellor and Political Coordinator at its UN Mission, immediately rejected the claim, reaffirming that “Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory.”
Upholding multilateralism amid global challenges
Ambassador Asim Ahmad lauded the UN’s pivotal role over the past eight decades in promoting peace, human rights, and development, saying it remained “an indispensable pillar” of global governance.
“From enshrining the inalienable right of peoples to self-determination and supporting struggles against colonialism and foreign occupation, to affirming the dignity and worth of every individual, the UN has left an indelible imprint across virtually every dimension of international affairs,” he said.
However, he warned that amid deepening inequalities, erosion of international law, economic fragility, and mistrust among major powers, the world faced new and complex threats—ranging from climate change and pandemics to cyber vulnerabilities and the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence.
“Yet multilateralism is under stress,” he cautioned, “at a time when international cooperation is most urgently needed to tackle the common challenges confronting humanity.”
The best test of commitment to multilateralism, he stressed, was to strengthen the role and credibility of the United Nations, which Pakistan regarded as “the quintessential expression of multilateralism and the premier platform to address global issues.”
Call for Palestine’s just resolution
Ambassador Asim Ahmad also drew attention to the prolonged suffering of the Palestinian people, describing it as “a stark reminder of the urgent need for a just and lasting solution.”
He reiterated Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution—the establishment of an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, based on pre-1967 borders and in accordance with UN resolutions and international law.
Pakistan, he added, hoped that the Two-State Solution Conference and peace efforts led by the United States and Arab-Islamic countries would help launch a credible political process toward that goal.
Call for UN reform and equitable global governance
Ambassador Ahmad underscored that the UN Charter provides a full spectrum of peaceful tools for resolving disputes—negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and judicial settlement—and emphasized that the organization must remain fit for purpose, accountable, and more representative.
He proposed reforms centered on: Expanding elected representation in the Security Council through an inclusive and democratic process, while rejecting the creation of new permanent members; Empowering the General Assembly to play a decisive role in global decision-making, with its resolutions fully respected; restructuring global financial and economic governance on equitable and inclusive foundations; and establishing international regulatory frameworks to ensure emerging technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—serve peaceful and development-oriented purposes.
“Those permanent members who are open to expanding their exclusive club in order to preserve their privileges must instead commit to genuine reform,” he said, voicing support for Africa’s model of regional representation.
Pakistan rebuts India’s claims on Kashmir
Responding to India’s statement, Pakistani delegate Gul Qaiser Sarwani described New Delhi’s assertions as “baseless” and aimed at diverting attention from “the ground realities of occupation.”
“Jammu and Kashmir remains the bleeding wound of South Asia,” he declared. “No amount of sophistry can alter the truth: it is an internationally recognized disputed territory.”
He accused India of reneging on its pledges to hold a UN-supervised plebiscite and condemned its military presence of over 900,000 troops in the occupied region.
Listing a “catalogue of crimes,” Sarwani said the Indian occupation was marked by mass graves, enforced disappearances, custodial killings, sexual violence, demographic engineering, and media blackouts.
He further slammed India’s “fascist Hindutva ideology,” citing persecution of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Dalits, and said pogroms in Gujarat, Delhi, and Manipur had “turned India into the world’s largest factory of hate.”
“Kashmir is not India’s internal matter. It never was. It never will be,” Sarwani affirmed, urging India to end its “state terrorism” and comply with UN Security Council resolutions.
He concluded by noting that Azad Jammu and Kashmir stood as a testament to Pakistan’s commitment to democratic governance and human rights.
“Its people elect their leaders, manage their affairs, and live with dignity—freedoms unimaginable under Indian occupation,” he said.
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