UN Security Council holds 'closed-door consultations' amid India-Pak tensions
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the UN Security Council convened behind closed doors for urgent consultations — just hours after Secretary-General Antnio Guterres warned that the situation had reached its most volatile point in years.Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation Security Council, had requested closed consultations to address the issue.As the Council president for May, Greece has scheduled a closed-door meeting for the afternoon of May 5. Unlike formal sessions held in the UNSC Chamber—where members convene around the iconic horse-shoe table — this consultation will take place in a separate room next to the chamber.advertisement
Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Mohamed Khiari, who oversees Middle East, Asia, and Pacific affairs within the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and Peace Operations (DPO), will brief the Council on behalf of both entities. Following the meeting, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, may address reporters, according to news agency PTI.India's former Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin told PTI that no 'consequential outcome' can be expected from 'a discussion where a party to the conflict seeks to shape perceptions by using its membership of the Council. India will parry such Pakistani efforts'.In August 2019, China requested closed UNSC consultations to discuss India's move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. That meeting had ended without any outcome or statement from the powerful 15-nation UN organ, dealing a huge snub to Pakistan's efforts, backed by Beijing, to internationalise the Kashmir issue, which an overwhelming majority in the Council stressed is a bilateral matter between New Delhi and Islamabad.TENSIONS AT THEIR PEAKadvertisementOn Monday morning, Guterres voiced concern over tensions between India and Pakistan being at 'their highest in years', saying 'it pains me to see relations reaching a boiling point'. Guterres made the remarks to the press amid rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people.'Targeting civilians is unacceptable – and those responsible must be brought to justice through credible and lawful means,' he said. Guterres stressed that it is essential – especially at this critical hour — to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control. 'Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink. That has been my message in my ongoing outreach with both countries. Make no mistake: A military solution is no solution,' the UN chief said.(With inputs from PTI)Tune InMust Watch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
35 minutes ago
- First Post
'Combat terror, eliminate Jaish': Bilawal Bhutto delegation gets a reality check in US
US Congressman Brad Sherman gave a reality check to the Pakistani delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, insisting that the country should 'do all it can' to eliminate terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad from the region read more Pakistan's bid to spread its false propaganda in Washington failed horribly after a US lawmaker called out the country's support for a globally recognised terrorist organisation, Jaish-e-Mohammad. On Thursday, American Congressman Brad Sherman delivered stern advice to the Pakistani delegation led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that the country should 'do all it can' to eliminate the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad. Sherman also told Bhutto's team that Pakistan should ensure the protection of religious minorities in the country. Interestingly, the remarks from the US lawmaker came months after Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir made provocative remarks, expressing his support for the so-called 'Two-Nation Theory,' days after which India witnessed the Pahalgam terror attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sherman took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to reveal that he emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combating terrorism and, in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed. The American lawmaker pointed out that it was the JeM that was behind the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. For years, the people of #Sindh have faced political repression through enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Since its founding in 2011, Pakistan's own Human Rights Commission has documented over 8,000 cases of enforced disappearances, many of which have never been… — Congressman Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) June 6, 2025 Sherman shares the plight of the Pearl family In his post, the US lawmaker noted that he told the Pakistani delegation that it is important to combat terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and shared the plight of the Pearl family. 'I emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002,' the Congressman said. 'Pearl's family continues to live in my district, and Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region,' he added. Daniel was kidnapped by terrorists in Pakistan in January 2002, while he was on his way to what he had expected would be an interview with Pakistani religious cleric Mubarak Ali Gilani in Karachi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Congressman from California also raised concerns about the lives of minorities in Pakistan. 'Christians, Hindus and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system,' he said in the post. During the meeting, Sherman also called for the release of Dr Shakil Afridi, who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama bin Laden . 'Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11,' he said. Dr Afridi is a Pakistani physician who helped the CIA run a polio vaccination programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The campaign eventually helped in the collection of the DNA sample of the Bin Laden family. Afridi was eventually arrested by Pakistani authorities shortly after the American raid on Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in May 2011. In 2012, a Pakistani court eventually sentenced him to 33 years in prison. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
US lawmaker tells Pak delegation to eliminate 'vile' terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A senior American lawmaker has told a visiting Pakistani delegation, led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari , that the country should do "all it can" to eliminate the "vile" terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed as well as ensure protection of religious Pakistani delegation met Congressman Brad Sherman here on Thursday, timing their visit to the US capital around the same time as a multi-party delegation of Indian parliamentarians led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is in Washington all-party delegation is briefing key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's strong resolve to fight terrorism emanating from a post on X, Sherman said that he "emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002".Terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh was convicted of orchestrating the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel said Pearl's family continues to live in his district and "Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region".Bhutto also landed in the US at the same time as the Tharoor-led met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with his delegation as well as Security Council Ambassadors in New York and later travelled to Washington in Pakistan's bid to internationalise the conflict with India as well as the Kashmir issue but instead got instructed to deal with terrorism emanating from its US lawmaker also told the Pakistani delegation that the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan remains an important issue."Christians, Hindus and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system."Sherman further urged the Pakistani delegation to relay to their government the need to free Dr Shakil Afridi , who continues to languish in prison for helping the United States kill Osama bin Laden."Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11," he is a Pakistani physician who helped the CIA run a polio vaccination programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to collect DNA samples of bin Laden's was arrested by Pakistani authorities shortly after the American raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in May 2011. In 2012, a Pakistani court sentenced Afridi to 33 years in prison.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Pakistan army kills 14 militants in northwest Waziristan raid
Mohan Sinha 07 Jun 2025, 09:58 GMT+10 Pakistan's army said on June 4 that its security forces raided a militant hideout and killed 14 insurgents during a gunfight in the northwest part of the country The raid happened overnight in North Waziristan, a district in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The military said the operation targeted Pakistani Taliban fighters linked to an Indian proxy group. India has not responded to these claims ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan's army said on June 4 that its security forces raided a militant hideout and killed 14 insurgents during a gunfight in the northwest part of the country. The raid happened overnight in North Waziristan, a district in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The military said the operation targeted Pakistani Taliban fighters linked to an Indian proxy group. India has not responded to these claims. Pakistan's army also said that further cleanup operations are ongoing to remove Pakistani Taliban groups, which it claims are supported by India. Pakistani officials often accuse India of backing banned groups like the Baloch Liberation Army and the Pakistani Taliban, who are responsible for violent attacks inside Pakistan. These accusations have increased since May, as tensions between Pakistan and India have grown. The two nuclear-armed countries have seen rising conflict, especially over the disputed Kashmir region. Kashmir is split between the two countries, but both want complete control over it. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, has become stronger since the Afghan Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. Many TTP fighters and leaders have reportedly taken shelter in Afghanistan.
