New York, 2 March 2022: As the UN General Assembly debated on the draft resolution demanding Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine on Tuesday, Pakistan allowed its turn to pass.
PM IK has stated clearly r position that we do not support use of mly force to settle conflicts but u cannot adhere to Charter & IL selectively as has been done by the powerful for decades. So let’s also see condemnation of ongoing Indian & Israeli violations of UN Charter & IL.
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) March 1, 2022
Pakistan didn’t participate to depict its neutral status as the UN General Assembly continued to consider a resolution urging a rapid evacuation of Russian forces from Ukraine in response to a media report on March 2.
When media inquired about India’s abstentions, the US State Department advised them not to “focus on particular specific countries.” India abstained from voting on a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s invasion on Friday.
When the Security Council voted two days later to call an Emergency Extraordinary Session of the 193-member General Assembly to discuss the crisis, India again abstained.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his Indian counterpart on Thursday, urging him to support US efforts at the UN and other international forums.
Pakistan, which is attempting to avoid taking sides in this debate, was absent from both sessions. Pakistan, as a UN member, has the option of participating in the UNGA debate, which began on Tuesday and is now on its second day, but has so far declined.
China is Pakistan’s closest ally, supporting Islamabad in key international forums such as the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force. Pakistan claims it wants to preserve tight connections with both China and the United States, which is likely why it is staying out of the Ukrainian conflict.
It is crucial to address this here that in both these instances, the United Arab Emirates has also abstained from voting in favor of the draft resolution for Ukraine.
