Pak's anti-India rant at UN Security Council fizzles out, meet yields no outcome
The UNSC meeting requested by Pakistan ended without resolution amid rising India-Pakistan tensions following the deadly Pahalgam attack. Secretary-General Guterres warned against military escalation and urged restraint on both sides.
Pakistan misuses platform to spread false claims against India
Kashmir issue raised to divert from Pahalgam terror attack
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council, convened at Pakistan’s request, concluded without any statement, resolution, or official outcome. No significant response emerged from the discussion.
The meeting took place just hours after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the situation had reached its most volatile point in years.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar, once again misused the UN Security Council platform to spread false claims against India. In an attempt to divert attention from the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, Pakistan brought up the Kashmir issue, accusing India of military buildup and making provocative statements.
Iftikhar also termed India’s recent suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty an "act of aggression," in what India sees as a deliberate attempt to shift global focus away from Islamabad’s role in supporting cross-border terrorism.
Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation Security Council, had requested closed consultations to address the issue.
As the Council president for May, Greece scheduled a closed-door meeting for the afternoon of May 5. Unlike formal sessions held in the UNSC Chamber—where members convened around the iconic horse-shoe table—this consultation took place in a separate room next to the chamber.
Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Mohamed Khiari, who oversees Middle East, Asia, and Pacific affairs within the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and Peace Operations (DPO), will brief the Council on behalf of both entities.
Post-Pahalgam, Pakistan has been particularly concerned by the suspension of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, which regulates the allocation of water between India and Pakistan.
Islamabad has argued that holding the treaty in abeyance is “bound to undermine regional peace and stability with catastrophic implications”, warning that “any attempt to stop or divert the natural flow of water that rightfully belongs to Pakistan in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty, will be considered as an Act of War”.
On 25th April, the UNSC members issued a press statement on the attack, which was drafted by the US in its capacity as the Council’s penholder on counterterrorism issues.
The press statement condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir in the strongest terms, reaffirmed that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”, and underlined the need to hold those responsible for the attack accountable.
Some disagreements had to be resolved to achieve consensus on the press statement, however.
Notably, 'Press statements' from UNSC require unanimity to be issued.
In its initial draft, the statement apparently indicated that the TRF had claimed responsibility for the attack, but this reference was removed at the request of Pakistan, supported by China.
Pakistan got a setback as it had wanted to refer to Jammu and Kashmir as a “disputed territory”, but this was apparently unacceptable to several other Council members -- the US and France in particular - and not included in the text.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have continued to escalate in recent days.
On April 26, India accused Pakistan of firing on Indian troops across the Line of Control, saying that this prompted its troops to respond in kind.
As part of a crackdown following the 22 April attacks, India also demolished the family homes of nine suspected militants in Kashmir.
Both sides have reportedly test-fired missiles in the past week.
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