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UNITED NATIONS, May 06 (APP)::Members of the UN Security Council, meeting behind closed-doors on Monday, called for restraint and de-escalation leading to an India-Pakistan dialogue as tensions mounted between the two South Asian neighbours, with several members also underscoring early resolution of the Kashmir dispute, according to the Pakistani ambassador.
In a statement made at the Council’s stakeout on the conclusion of the session, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said that the meeting, held under the “historic’ agenda item titled “India-Pakistan Question”, was requested by Pakistan to discuss the deteriorating regional security environment, heightened tensions between the two countries and the situation in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“That this (Kashmir) issue remains unresolved after more than seventy years is a stark reminder — conflicts may be ignored but they do not disappear. They deepen,” the Pakistan envoy said.
“Today,” he added, “the stakes are higher than ever, with escalating rhetoric, military posturing, and provocative actions threatening not just Pakistan, but regional and global peace.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam town that killed 26 people, and without any evidence, India blamed Pakistan. On its part, Pakistan categorically rejected the claim and called for a neutral probe.
The situation further deteriorated as India’s Prime Minister Naredra Modi granted “operational freedom” to his military chiefs to respond to the attack in disputed Kashmir in whatever way they see fit.
Pakistan’s military has warned of a “swift” response to any misadventure by New Delhi.
ON Monday, the Security Council met after more than 5 years to consider the current security dynamic between Pakistan and India and the underlying Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
“Pakistan believes all its objectives were largely served and achieved by this meeting,” Ambassador Asim told reporters.
“We thank Council members for their engagement and their calls for restraint, de-escalation, and dialogue,: he said.
“Several members recognized the imperative of peacefully resolving Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with UN resolutions, the UN Charter, and wishes of the Kashmiri people. There was also a clear sense that regional stability cannot be sustained through unilateralism — it requires principled diplomacy and adherence to international law.
?Pakistan, he said, came to the Council with a message of peace, not provocation. “But peace does not happen in a vacuum. It demands responsibility, restraint, and respect for the rules that govern our world.”
In this regard, Ambassador Asim voiced grave concern over India’s recent unilateral measures — particularly the illegal actions of 23 April, military build-up, and inflammatory public statements.
“These actions, alongside credible intelligence of potential escalation, have dangerously raised tensions. While Pakistan does not seek confrontation, we are fully prepared to defend our sovereignty … When peace is threatened in a region home to one-fourth of humanity, it becomes a global issue.”
Rejecting India’s attempt to implicate Pakistan in the Pahalgam attack, he said, “What India is claiming is nothing but recycled allegations — unsubstantiated, unverified, designed to serve its political interests and strategic objectives which include its efforts to divert attention from its repression and human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, and to undermine and delegitimize the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.”
As regards India’s unilateral suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty — a legally-binding accord brokered by the World Bank and upheld even during wars, the Pakistani envoy said, “Any attempt to disrupt their flow constitutes aggression.”
“Water is life, not a weapon. These rivers sustain over 240 million Pakistanis,” he said.
At the same time, Ambassador Asim said the Council was reminded that the core of regional instability is the unresolved dispute over Jammu and Kashmir where the people continue to face gross human rights violations — extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, demolition of homes, restrictions on expression and media, and a systematic denial of their right to self-determination.
“Lasting peace in South Asia requires that the Council implement its own resolutions, including the holding of a UN-supervised plebiscite to let Kashmiris determine their own future.”
Pakistan, he said, also called out India’s weaponization of disinformation — efforts to malign Pakistan and fabricate narratives, and reminded the Council that as a frontline state in the fight against terrorism, the country sacrificed over 90,000 lives along with immense economic setback.
“India’s attempts to distort this reality — while ignoring its own destabilizing actions and involvement in terrorism abroad, including the case of Kulbhushan Yadav and extra territorial assassinations — must be met with truth, transparency and accountability.”
Pakistan also reiterated its commitment to peaceful, cooperative relations with all its neighbours, including India.
“We remain open to dialogue based on mutual respect and sovereign equality. We have also called for an independent, transparent, neutral and credible investigation into the Pahalgam incident,” the Pakistani envoy said.
“While we pursue peace, we will defend our interests and safeguard our sovereignty resolutely, at all costs.”
In conclusion, he said, ?In view of the gravity of the situation, the calls of dialogue and de-escalation and peaceful resolution of disputes, as we also heard from the Council members today, are most pertinent, and the way forward for lasting peace and stability in the region.”
At the start of the Security Council’s session, Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific briefed the member states on the situation between India and Pakistan, diplomats said.
Ahead of the 15-member body’s meeting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “maximum restraint” from India and Pakistan, warning that escalating tensions over a recent terror attack in Kashmir risk spiraling into outright military confrontation.
Addressing journalists outside the Security Council, Guterres expressed deep concern over deteriorating relations and tensionsbetween the two South Asian neighbours, saying they had reached “their highest in years.”
He reiterated his condemnation of the 22 April terror attack in the Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir, which killed at least 26 civilians and injured many more.
“Targeting civilians is unacceptable – and those responsible must be brought to justice through credible and lawful means,” the UN chief said.
“It is also essential – especially at this critical hour – to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control.