Diplomatic success at UN
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Pakistan has been appointed vice chair of the UNSC Counter-Terrorism Committee and chair of the UNSC panel that oversees the implementation of sanctions on the Afghan Taliban. The pair of moves is not just a recognition of the success of the government in disassociating itself from militancy, but also a slap in the face for India, which has been sending delegations to world capitals to convince them that Pakistan was behind the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
The appointments mean that Pakistan — currently one of the rotating members of the UNSC — will have a prominent voice during policymaking, and could well be the loudest voice in the room when it comes to reexamining sanctions on Afghanistan. It is worth noting that just days before Pakistan became chair of the sanctions panel, New Delhi had been sweet-talking Kabul, and anti-Pakistan terrorism from across the border had been on the rise. Since the thaw, the Afghan Taliban have begun taking concrete steps to address terrorism originating on its soil and other CBMs.
Meanwhile, India has been left out in the cold, something that is becoming the norm in world capitals.
In fact, the events of the past few days show that India's efforts to malign Pakistan have not only failed, but have even backfired. Pakistan is getting support from several countries at the UN and elsewhere, partly due to Islamabad's own diplomatic efforts, but also due to India's refusal to provide any proof to incriminate Pakistan in the terrorist attack.
Meanwhile, New Delhi's own state-sponsored terrorism — assassination attempts on overseas dissidents — have led to Prime Minister Narendra Modi getting snubbed by the G7 at a time when it is trying to portray itself as a global diplomatic power.
But beyond the comparative diplomatic successes and failures of Pakistan and India, Islamabad has a golden opportunity to use its expertise and relationship with Kabul to influence positive changes in Afghanistan, while also strengthening its credentials as a leader in global security policymaking.
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