UNSC Discusses India-Pakistan Tensions After Pahalgam Attack in Closed-Door Session:

Suspense crime, Digital Desk : Late Monday night, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) assembled for undisclosed consultations with a view of the growing strife between India and Pakistan. This meeting was initiated by Pakistan in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in 26 deaths.

The 90 minute session took place in a closed consultation room next to the UNSC chamber. Whereas, in ordinary council meetings, the delegates sit around a horse shaped table, for this meeting, there was no record of it. Pakistan, despite there being no official UNSC declaration, later stated that they achieved most of their objectives.

UN Officials and Council Members Discuss Security Issues and Dialogue

From the UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, Khaled Mohamed Khiari, asssistant secretary for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, gave a briefing. He highlighted how serious the matter is and the necessity for India and Pakistan to peacefully talk.

Greece’s permanent representative to the UN and current UNSC president Evangelos Sekeris regarded the discussion as positive. Even a Russian delegate expressed hope the meeting would ease tensions in the area.

Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador, asserted that the country has met several of its objectives. He noted the meeting showcased the deepening security challenges and urged the avoidance of escalation. Ahmad expressed appreciation for the efforts made by Council members who called for restraint and a return to the negotiating table.

Pakistan Since then underscored the water issue and called for a peaceful bilateral approach toward Pakistan.

Pakistan, as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, raised concerns regarding the Indian decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. Ahmad also emphasized calling for the suspension of bloodshed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir openly referred to as Azad Kashmir. Ahmad noted that water is an essential means of sustaining life and not merely a geopolitical instrument, as suspended iniliation by Ex ce Indo-Pak peace tells bred dealing Hurriyet leaders. Ahmad highlighted the importance of water over 240 million Pakistanis.

Cites reports downloaded by ANI states that members of UNSC unanimously condemned the so-called Pahalgam terror attack and agitated to bring the perpetrator to justice and account for their deeds. Most of them countered the Pakistan narrative of a false flag operation and inclined toward assumption of the role of LeT, which has established the habit of indulging in borderline cross-border terrorism.UN Members Stress Bilateral Solutions and Regional Stability

ANI sources said council members noted with concern the targeting of tourists, especially those who are supposedly picked based on their faith, in Jammu and Kashmir. Some other members also condemned the recent missile tests and nuclear posturing of Pakistan as reckless.

Some members reaffirmed the long-held view by the world community that The India-Pakistan disputes are to be settled through negotiations held directly between the two countries. Pakistan’s attempts to garner support for Kashmir at the global level was received with no warmth at the UNSC.

The closed session shied away from issuing an official UNSC declaration but Pakistan argued that its fundamental issues were cared for.

India’s Reaction And UNSC Leadership Pleading for Moderation

Before the discussions, India’s former UN ambassador Syed Akbaruddin raised concerns over the meeting’s impact on stakeholders, stating that one-sided approaches cannot lead to productive solutions. During the session, Akbaruddin remarked that India had effectively foiled Pakistani attempts to internationalize the issue.

In his remarks before the session, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised concern about the escalation of tension between the two countries. He asked both parties to exercise utmost self-restraint from engaging in war. Guterres has also condemned the Pahalgam attack and said that those responsible must be taken through the due processes of law.

It's definitive that military means cannot achieve peace in this area. There needs to be a diplomatic approach and restrain exercised.

UNSC Composition and Session Details

The UN Security Council still needs to be reinforced, considering the major UN SC's 5 permanent members and Poland act as its 10 non-permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and United States - Pakistan, Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia.

The Consulting Chamber is located next to the UNSC Chamber. As was expected, no statement was too issued based on these consultations, however, they surely provided additional opportunity to discuss among southwest asian and region in relations equilibrium.