With Indian-Pakistani tensions increasing in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, reiterated that Pakistan has the right to call for a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting if needed.
In a press briefing on Friday, Ahmad admitted the seriousness of the situation and said that Pakistan may call for a meeting of the UNSC to address the increasing threat to regional and international peace and security, which he asserted was a direct result of the current tensions in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan, which is a non-permanent UNSC member, will also chair the body during July, with a chance to call for a meeting to resolve the situation.
Ahmad went on to clarify that Pakistan had already taken up the matter with other members of the Security Council, such as the past and current month's presidencies. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would be keeping a close eye on the situation and would call for a meeting when the time was right.
While being questioned regarding the recent controversial comments by Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, that Pakistan had been performing "dirty work for the West" by backing terrorism, Ahmad sidestepped a direct response but emphasized Pakistan's position on backing its actions and sovereignty.
The Greek UNSC President in May, Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, recognized the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan and stated that the Security Council may gather earlier rather than later to discuss the issue. He suggested that the Council would seize the moment in using such a gathering as a time to raise views and de-escalate the tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
This assertion by the Greek representative was a reflection of the global interest in the status quo and in the possibility of further escalation with most calling upon India and Pakistan to talk things out and diffuse the situation before any military clash occurs.
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