ISLAMABAD – Pakistani officials expressed satisfaction with the outcome of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting convened to address growing tensions in South Asia, after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that raised the risk of military confrontation between the region’s two nuclear-armed neighbours.
In a press briefing in New York, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, said the country’s objectives were “largely fulfilled” during the closed-door session, which Islamabad had requested after Indian aggression.
It all started after April 22 attack in Pahalgam which marked one of the deadliest incidents in the region in decades. New Delhi was quick to blame Pakistan without providing evidence. Islamabad has strongly denied any connection and has demanded an independent, international investigation.
Iftikhar said Islamabad categorically rejects these baseless allegations, which according to him, are designed to divert global attention from India’s continued repression in Kashmir.”
Ambassador warned that New Delhi’s military build-up, inflammatory rhetoric, and recent unilateral actions had significantly increased the risk of escalation. “Pakistan does not seek confrontation,” he said, “but we will not hesitate to defend our sovereignty in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter.”
UNSC members voiced support for resolving the Kashmir dispute peacefully and in accordance with long-standing UN resolutions, he said, calling for renewed international efforts to implement these resolutions, including a plebiscite for Kashmiris.
Another major point of concern raised by Pakistan was India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty — a decades-old water-sharing agreement mediated by the World Bank. “Water must never be used as a weapon,” Iftikhar warned, emphasizing that any attempt to disrupt river flows would be considered an act of aggression and a threat to regional stability.
He further highlighted India’s alleged use of disinformation to undermine Pakistan’s international standing, and criticized what he described as New Delhi’s efforts to rewrite the narrative around counter-terrorism.
Quoting Pakistan has lost over 19,000 lives in the fight against terrorism,” he noted. “Distorting this reality to serve political goals is irresponsible and dangerous.”
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