United Nations (TDI): Pakistan has called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to urgently address the unresolved Kashmir issue, warning that continued inaction risks further instability in South Asia. The appeal came as Pakistan assumed the rotating presidency of the 15-member body for the month of July.
At a press briefing, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the time had come for the Council, especially its permanent members, to fulfil their responsibilities and ensure implementation of long-standing resolutions on Kashmir.
“This is not just Pakistan’s burden to bear,” Ambassador Ahmad told reporters at UN Headquarters. “The Security Council itself, and particularly the permanent five, has an obligation to act. This issue cannot be allowed to gather dust.”
The Kashmir dispute, he said, continues to be a serious source of tension between Pakistan and India and has wide-ranging implications for peace, human rights, and regional stability.
Read More: UN Charter’s Anniversary: Pakistan Calls Out Injustice in Kashmir, Palestine
Earlier on Monday, the Council convened to approve its agenda for July under Pakistan’s leadership. Ambassador Ahmad said Pakistan’s presidency would be guided by the core principles of the UN Charter: peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereign equality, multilateralism, and respect for international law.
As part of its presidency, Pakistan will host two key high-level debates: Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes on July 22 and UN-OIC Cooperation on July 24.
Both events will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, who will also preside over the Council’s quarterly open debate on the situation in Palestine on July 23.
“These thematic debates reflect a growing global concern, that today’s conflicts are increasingly rooted in unresolved disputes and the failure to honour international commitments,” Ambassador Ahmad said. “We want to reflect on the effectiveness of dispute resolution mechanisms, address obstacles to implementing Council decisions, and promote diplomacy and mediation.”
Speaking specifically about Kashmir, he noted that the dispute remains on the Security Council’s official agenda under the “India–Pakistan question,” and is the subject of multiple UN resolutions, including those affirming the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination.
Read More: Pakistan, India Trade Barbs at UN Over Kashmir
“It is a dispute with multiple dimensions, peace and security, political, legal, and human rights,” he said. “This issue is not only unresolved; it is actively harming regional stability and preventing the development of normal relations between neighbors. It needs to be addressed, urgently.”
Ambassador Ahmad reiterated that Pakistan’s broader focus during its presidency will include developments in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
