India-Pak tensions: Pakistan says it has right to seek UNSC meeting

Synopsis

Pakistan asserted its entitlement to request a UN Security Council meeting amidst escalating tensions with India following the Pahalgam terror attack. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad emphasized the situation's threat to regional peace, highlighting discussions with Security Council members and the potential for a meeting to address the evolving crisis.

United Nations: Pakistan on Friday said it has a "right" to seek a meeting of the United Nations Security Council when "appropriate" as tensions heightened with India after the Pahalgam terror attack.

"We see that all of this that is happening is in the context, in the backdrop of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir," Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told a press conference here.

Ahmad was responding to a question on whether Pakistan is planning to ask for a meeting of the Security Council in the wake of rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people on April 22.

Pakistan is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and will preside over the 15-nation UN body in July.

"Here it is evident that there was an incident but now what has evolved in terms of the situation which is a real threat to regional and international peace and security, and we believe that the Security Council, in fact, has the mandate, and it would be very legitimate for any member of the Council, including Pakistan, to request a meeting, a discussion of the Security Council, to consider this very serious situation that has evolved," he said.

"We have discussed that with the Council members. We have discussed that with last month's presidency, and this month's presidency. We are observing the situation very closely, and we have the right to convene a meeting when we feel appropriate," Ahmad said.

The Pakistan envoy avoided directly answering a question by PTI about Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's recent remarks in a TV interview in which he had said that Pakistan has been "doing dirty work" for the West.

In an interview with Sky News last week, Asif was asked if Pakistan has been supporting, training and funding terrorists, to which the minister had said his country did the West's "dirty work" for decades.

Earlier on Thursday, Greece, which is the President of the UN Security Council in May, said that the Security Council could meet "sooner rather than later" to discuss the situation between India and Pakistan, and this would be an opportunity to express views and to help diffuse tensions, as it voiced concern over rising tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours and called for de-escalation and dialogue.

"Of course, if a request comes for a meeting then... I think this meeting should take place because, as we said, maybe it's also an opportunity to have views expressed and this might help to diffuse a bit of tension. We will see," Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of May Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris had said in response to a question by PTI.

"We are in close contact... but this is something which might happen, I would say, sooner rather than later. We will see, we are preparing. It's the first day of our (UNSC) presidency," Sekeris had said.

Sekeris was briefing UN reporters here Thursday on the Council's programme of work under Greece's month-long presidency of the 15-nation UN body.

He was asked about rising tensions between India and Pakistan and if he had received any request for a meeting or consultations on the issue in the Council.