Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations, Asif Iftikhar, faced a barrage of tough questions during a closed-door session of the UN Security Council over the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack, which occurred on April 22, has been linked to the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
India blamed Pakistan for the incident, escalating tensions between the two countries. In response, India took several punitive measures, including blocking water flow from the Indus River, revoking visas, and imposing other restrictions. Pakistan retaliated by suspending bilateral trade, closing land, water, and air access for India, and cancelling Indian visas.
Amid rising tensions, several Pakistani officials threatened nuclear retaliation in the event of a full-scale war. Following this, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi authorized military forces to launch operations inside Pakistan if necessary.
Pakistan later requested UN intervention, prompting Monday’s closed-door meeting of the Security Council. According to Indian media outlet ANI, representatives of various member states questioned Ambassador Iftikhar about Pakistan’s alleged ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba and its role in the attack.
The Security Council rejected Pakistan’s claim that the attack was a “pre-planned” and “orchestrated” event by India, and instead urged cooperation with India in investigating the matter.
While Ambassador Iftikhar denied Pakistan’s involvement and accused India of violating international law by blocking the Indus River’s flow, no official statements were released by either country following the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the session, Tunisian Ambassador Khaled Mohamed Khairi commented, “The overall situation is volatile. We urge both India and Pakistan to resolve the issue through diplomatic means and dialogue