NEW YORK, Apr 27, Pakistan achieved a significant diplomatic
success at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), effectively
blocking India’s attempts to push through a resolution that directly
attributed the recent Pahalgam incident to Pakistan and incorporated
language favoring New Delhi’s stance on Kashmir.
Despite India’s intensive lobbying efforts following the April 22 attack
in the Pahalgam area of occupied Kashmir — where 26 tourists were killed
in a firing incident — New Delhi failed to include the word “Pahalgam”
in the final UNSC statement.
The Security Council’s carefully worded condemnation avoided direct
reference to India’s claims and instead maintained the internationally
recognized term “Jammu and Kashmir,” reaffirming its disputed status
between Pakistan and India.
In the statement issued four days after the incident, the UNSC strongly
condemned the attack, expressing deepest sympathy and condolences to the
families of the victims as well as to the governments of India and
Nepal. The council reiterated that terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations remains one of the most serious threats to international
peace and security and emphasized that such acts are criminal and
unjustifiable, regardless of motivation or perpetrators.
The Security Council urged all member states to cooperate actively with
“all relevant authorities” under international law, pointedly avoiding
any direct mention of India as the sole authority in the region.
Diplomats noted that Pakistan, with the crucial support of China, played
a pivotal role in shaping the language of the statement to prevent any
implicit endorsement of India’s territorial claims.
Pakistan, currently serving as a non-permanent member of the UNSC,
coordinated closely with China to ensure the resolution remained
balanced. Unlike the 2019 Pulwama incident, where the UNSC’s response
was heavily tilted in India’s favor, Islamabad succeeded this time in
preventing any direct blame from being placed on Pakistan.
In contrast to India’s demand for a “clear and forceful” condemnation
that named Pahalgam and Pakistan explicitly, the final statement issued
by the Council remained neutral. It reflected Pakistan’s diplomatic
efforts to highlight Jammu and Kashmir’s disputed status on the
international stage.
Additionally, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s
willingness to cooperate with a “neutral and transparent” investigation
into the Pahalgam attack, firmly rejecting what he described as
“baseless allegations” leveled by India.
Following the attack, tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors
have escalated sharply. India responded by suspending the Indus Waters
Treaty, expelling Pakistani citizens from its territory within 48 hours,
shutting the Wagah border crossing, recalling its military attaché from
Islamabad, and reducing diplomatic staff at its High Commission in
Pakistan.
In retaliation, Pakistan’s National Security Committee announced the
suspension of all bilateral agreements, including the Simla Agreement.
Islamabad also closed its airspace and borders for Indian traffic,
halted all forms of trade, and limited the diplomatic staff at the
Indian High Commission to 30 members. Indian defense, naval, and air
advisers were declared persona non grata and ordered to leave Pakistan.
Visas of all Indian nationals — except Sikh pilgrims — were canceled,
with orders to leave the country within 48 hours.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking to Britain’s Sky News, warned
that if India launched any attack, it could lead to a full-scale war,
and urged the international community to take note of the situation’s
gravity.
He also dismissed India’s accusations linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam
attack, calling it a “false flag operation” designed to malign Islamabad
internationally.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, addressing a routine press briefing
in New York, expressed the United Nations’ “deep concern” over the
developments in Kashmir. He urged both India and Pakistan to exercise
“maximum restraint” to prevent further escalation.
“We continue to monitor the situation with very deep concern,” Dujarric
said. “We again urge both the Government of India and the Government of
Pakistan to ensure the situation does not deteriorate further.”
Notably, the UNSC’s statement this time stands in contrast to previous
ones, reflecting a more cautious and balanced approach toward
Kashmir-related incidents.