New Delhi: The United Nations Security Council grilled Islamabad over Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba’s involvement in last month’s Pahalgam attack, news agency ANI reported, quoting sources.
Islamabad’s attempts to internationalise the situation failed. The members of the global security body flagged Pakistan’s nuclear rhetoric as an escalatory factor. They also expressed concern over Pakistan’s recent missile tests, the report added.
Pakistan had requested the UNSC’s Greek presidency for “closed consultations” in view of the tensions with India. Islamabad is one of the 10 non-permanent members of the council,
The other members of the UNSC include the permanent ones, China, France, Russia, UK, and the US, who enjoy the veto power. Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia are among its non-permanent members.
According to reports, the talks lasted for over an hour. Sources claimed the UNSC members condemned the terror attack and highlighted the need for accountability. They also brought up that the tourists were targeted in Pahalgam based on their religion, the report further claimed.
They refused to accept Pakistan’s “false flag” narrative on Pahalgam. They asked Islamabad to sort out its issues bilaterally with India.
Pakistani envoy Asim Iftikhar told reporters that his country had rejected all allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack and dubbed India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty a violation of international law.
However, no official statement has yet been issued either by the Security Council or India. But reports claimed that after attending the meeting Tunisian diplomat Khaled Mohamed Khiari said the situation was “volatile” and there was a call for “dialogue and peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
Greek envoy Evangelos Sekeris, the Security Council’s President for May, called the meeting “productive and helpful”. “We hope for de-escalation,” a Russian diplomat said, as quoted by NDTV.
Ahead of the talks, UN chief Antonio Guterres had said “a military solution is not a solution.” He called on both countries to show maximum restraint. “It pains me to see relations reaching a boiling point,” he had said.
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