UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, has said that India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in gross violation of Security Council resolutions is the root cause of instability in South Asia.
Speaking at a high-level open debate of the United Nations Security Council, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar said that lasting peace in South Asia required resolving the Kashmir dispute in line with UN resolutions and ensuring respect for treaty obligations, including water-sharing agreements. He also condemned India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as “another blatant breach of international obligations, threatening lives, livelihoods of millions, endangering peace and security.”
“Pakistan rejects the weaponisation of water and critical natural resources,” Ahmad stated, noting that treaty compliance is a cornerstone of international legal order.
Ambassador Asim said the erosion of the rule of law was contributing to conflict, humanitarian crises and weakening trust between countries.
He said international law was meant to make relations between states predictable and stable. But when countries ignore agreed rules, he warned, law risks losing its meaning. The Pakistani envoy emphasised that “reaffirming international rule of law is not an abstract legal exercise but a prerequisite for peace, justice, and collective security.”
“Selective application of legal norms, erosion of treaty obligation and unilateral actions have weakened trust among states and strained the multilateral system in the UN Charter,” he stressed. “When law yields to power or expediency, instability deepens, disputes entrench further, and peaceful coexistence jeopardised.” He cautioned against attempts to normalise unilateral actions outside the UN framework.
Referring to tensions with India, Ambassador Ahmad said Pakistan had experienced violations of international law first-hand. He stated that last May, “India carried out an unprovoked military aggression in breach of international law and Pakistani sovereignty.” He noted that Pakistan, “acting in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter,” exercised “its inherent right of self-defence in responsible, restrained and proportional manner.”
“Our response established that there can be no new normal based on coercion or impunity,” he said, adding that “respect for international law remains the only legitimate norm governing interstate conduct.”
Despite regional tensions, Pakistan has demonstrated its commitment to peaceful dispute resolution, Ahmad highlighted. He said that “within weeks of defeating military aggression, Pakistan led the unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 27(88) on peaceful settlement of disputes.” This, the ambassador said, reaffirms the Council’s collective commitment to dialogue, mediation, and judicial settlement and other peaceful means as the first recourse in resolving disputes.
Addressing the situation in Palestine, Ahmad said it “starkly illustrates the consequences of selective adherence to international law.” “The continued denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, persistent violations of international humanitarian law, and disregard for relevant UN resolutions erode the credibility of the international system,” Ahmad stated. He emphasised that a “just and lasting peace can only be achieved through full respect for international law and equal application of legal principles to all.”
