The UN Security Council convened a closed-door meeting today to address the sharply deteriorating security situation between India and Pakistan, specifically focusing on the escalating tensions and the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The meeting, held at Pakistan’s request, followed India’s recent unilateral actions and provocative statements that have significantly increased the risk of military conflict.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Council members expressed “deep concern over the growing risk of escalation” and stressed the urgent need for restraint and de-escalation, urging dialogue and diplomacy to prevent military confrontation. Several members highlighted the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute as the root cause of regional instability, emphasizing the need for a resolution “in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”
Many members also underlined the importance of respecting international law and obligations, referencing India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
Pakistan’s UN Ambassador, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, briefed the Council, highlighting India’s “provocative actions, including its unilateral measures announced on 23rd April and aggressive military posturing.” He warned that these actions were “unjustified and dangerous, and could lead to catastrophic consequences.”
Ambassador Ahmad also shared intelligence suggesting an “imminent threat of kinetic action by India against Pakistan,” while reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity and its right to self-defense under the UN Charter, while simultaneously emphasizing that Pakistan does not seek escalation.
Pakistan categorically rejected India’s accusations linking it to the April 22nd attack in IIOJK, stating that these accusations were made “without any investigation or credible evidence.” Pakistan emphasized that such incidents “must not be allowed to be used to justify aggression or violate international law,” noting that India has historically exploited similar incidents to suppress the Kashmiri people’s self-determination movement and conceal its own human rights abuses. Pakistan also highlighted India’s alleged involvement in state-sponsored terrorism and targeted assassinations.
Pakistan further warned that India’s unilateral suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a legally binding agreement brokered by the World Bank, would constitute “an act of war” if it leads to the obstruction or diversion of Pakistan’s share of river waters. Pakistan welcomed calls from the UN Secretary-General and Council members for dialogue and de-escalation, and pledged to continue intensified diplomatic efforts to defuse the situation.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Iftikhar said that Pakistan’s objectives were ‘largely served’ by the meeting.
“There was also a clear sense that regional stability cannot be sustained through unilateralism, it requires principled diplomacy, engagement and adherence to international law,” he added.
