Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad called for reforms to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/un-security-council-demands-iran-halt-attacks-on-gulf-states" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">UN Security Council</a>&nbsp;and urged stronger multilateral cooperation during a briefing with a visiting US Army War College delegation, according to a statement released Tuesday by Pakistan&rsquo;s Mission to the UN. According to the statement posted on X, a 40-member delegation from the United States Army War College, led by Colonel Stephan Walters and including five female officers, visited Pakistan&rsquo;s mission to the United Nations for a country briefing. UN reform push Asim Iftikhar told participants the United Nations remained the central platform for addressing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/world-must-to-unite-hold-us-accountable-for-normalizing-the-proliferation-of-nukes-iran-fm" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">international peace</a>&nbsp;and security, development, human rights, climate change and emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence and information technology. He said global challenges were too interconnected for any country to address alone and called for stronger multilateral cooperation through the UN framework. The ambassador also discussed ongoing UN reform efforts, including changes to the Security Council and revitalization of the General Assembly. He said Pakistan supports &ldquo;democratic, transparent, and accountable&rdquo; reform of the Security Council while opposing the creation of new permanent seats. Pakistan&rsquo;s UNSC role Asim Iftikhar pointed to Pakistan&rsquo;s role as a current member of the UN Security Council in peacekeeping,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-sri-lanka-conclude-twoweek-joint-counterterrorism-drills" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">counterterrorism</a>, regional stability and promoting peaceful settlement of disputes. He also referred to the recent adoption of a Security Council resolution during Pakistan&rsquo;s council presidency that committed to peaceful dispute resolution under Chapter VI of the UN Charter. US-Iran tensions The discussions also focused on tensions involving the United States and Iran, the evolving security situation in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-israel-war-on-iran-day-74" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Middle East</a>, demographic change, artificial intelligence and Islamophobia. The Pakistani ambassador warned that instability linked to US-Iran tensions had affected global energy markets, oil and gas supplies, fertilizer availability, food security, inflation, maritime trade and global economic growth. Regional diplomacy Asim Iftikhar said disruption in the Strait of Hormuz carried serious implications for global energy flows and trade routes. He stated that the United Nations had examined several scenarios linked to a prolonged crisis and said Pakistan had also experienced economic effects from the regional instability. He described Pakistan&rsquo;s relationship with the United States as broad-based, covering security, defense, counterterrorism, economic cooperation and trade. He also said Pakistan had engaged with the United States, Iran, Gulf countries, Egypt, China and Turkiye to support de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy. AI and Islamophobia On artificial intelligence, Ahmad said growing use of AI in policy-making and institutional decision-making would raise human rights concerns and become a larger issue within the United Nations system. Addressing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/international-day-to-combat-islamophobia-data-shows-antimuslim-hate-rising-in-india-other-countries" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Islamophobia</a>, the Pakistani envoy said freedom of religion and belief remained a fundamental human right. He noted Pakistan&rsquo;s support for efforts at the United Nations to establish a special envoy to combat Islamophobia. The delegation included 33 American participants, two from Pakistan and one each from T&uuml;rkiye, Sri Lanka, Moldova, Guatemala and Ecuador.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaks during a May 11 briefing with a visiting US Army War College delegation at Pakistan’s UN mission in New York. (Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN)

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan says it supports UN reform, multilateral diplomacy and dialogue on global security issues, including Middle East tensions, artificial intelligence and Islamophobia.

Pakistan envoy calls for UN reform during US military delegation visit

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday voted in favor of a United Nations Security Council resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) by three months, reaffirming its support for the mission&rsquo;s role in promoting peace, security, and stability in Afghanistan.&nbsp;Speaking at the Security Council following the adoption of the resolution, Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Usman Jadoon said Afghanistan continues to face multiple challenges, including an increasing threat of terrorism, human rights concerns, narcotics issues, and diminishing humanitarian assistance.&nbsp;&nbsp;He said Pakistan supports UNAMA&rsquo;s efforts in addressing these challenges and welcomed the unanimous adoption of the resolution.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jadoon also commended China for its role as penholder and for efforts to build consensus among Security Council members.&nbsp;He said Pakistan has consistently maintained that the deteriorating security situation and the rise in terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remain among the most serious challenges facing the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;He added that elements within the Taliban administration were collaborating with, or providing a permissive environment for, several militant groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP); the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade; Islamic State Khorasan (ISIL-K); Al-Qaeda; and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).&nbsp;According to Jadoon, these groups operate with impunity inside Afghanistan and are responsible for cross-border attacks targeting Pakistani civilians, law enforcement personnel, critical infrastructure, and public places.&nbsp;He said the Security Council resolution expressed serious concern over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, which it said &ldquo;continue to constitute a threat to international peace and security,&rdquo; and called on the Taliban to take &ldquo;active, immediate, demonstrable and concrete measures&rdquo; to combat terrorism in all its forms.&nbsp;The resolution also outlined expectations for strengthening the safe and secure management of weapons and ammunition to prevent their diversion to terrorist groups.&nbsp;Jadoon said UNAMA, as mandated, has a responsibility to monitor and analyze security dynamics across Afghanistan, including gaining a better understanding of the illicit economy.&nbsp;&nbsp;He added that the mission is also expected to support efforts aimed at preventing the illicit trade and destabilizing accumulation of small arms and light weapons, as well as their diversion within Afghanistan and the wider region.&nbsp;He further said UNAMA should support efforts to create conditions conducive to the reintegration of refugee populations in Afghanistan.&nbsp;Jadoon also cautioned against what he described as disinformation advanced by local Taliban elements that could create obstacles to UNAMA personnel accessing different parts of the country. At the same time, he said Pakistan expects the mission to report objectively on developments on the ground while taking into account the security concerns of Afghanistan&rsquo;s neighboring countries.&nbsp;He expressed hope that the three-month extension would allow the Security Council to review UNAMA&rsquo;s role in Afghanistan in a manner that contributes to long-term peace and stability in the country and in the wider region.

Pakistan voted in favor of a United Nations Security Council resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) by three months, reaffirming its support for the mission’s role in promoting peace, security, and stability in Afghanistan

Articles tagged with "Pakistan UN"

Pakistan envoy calls for UN reform during US military delegation visit

Pakistan backs three-month extension of UNAMA mandate at UN Security Council

Pakistan envoy calls for UN reform during US military delegation visit