In a closed-door meeting prompted by rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) refused to be drawn into Islamabad’s narrative, offering no resolution or statement following Pakistan’s request for “urgent” consultations. The informal session, held on May 5, came in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians.
According to diplomatic sources cited by news agency ANI, Pakistan’s attempt to internationalise the issue backfired. Several UNSC members reportedly posed tough questions to Islamabad, rejecting its “false flag” claims and instead raising the likely involvement of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Members broadly condemned the attack and stressed the need for accountability—marking a sharp departure from Pakistan’s expectations of sympathy.
Some members also highlighted the disturbing element of tourists being allegedly targeted based on their religious identity. Concerns were raised about Pakistan’s recent missile tests and nuclear rhetoric, which were labelled as escalatory moves, further undermining its diplomatic position.
India Holds Ground, UNSC Calls for Restraint
India’s former Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, dismissed Pakistan’s efforts as failed theatrics. “Like in the past, Pakistan’s bullying has failed again. Indian diplomacy has once again successfully thwarted its efforts,” he told PTI.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, addressing the media separately, condemned the Pahalgam attack as “awful,” calling for calm and restraint. He warned that further escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors could have devastating consequences, and stressed that “violence is not a solution—dialogue is.”
Greece’s UN envoy Evangelos Sekeris, the current UNSC president, described the informal consultations as “productive,” though he acknowledged that no consensus or action emerged from the meeting.
Jaishankar Engages UNSC Members, Except China and Pakistan
Ahead of the meeting, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar briefed UNSC members—excluding China and Pakistan—reiterating India’s demand for accountability in the Pahalgam attack. He stressed that the perpetrators, planners, and supporters of the attack must face justice.
Akbaruddin, in pre-meeting remarks, had already downplayed Pakistan’s gambit, saying that attempts to manipulate international perception would not alter India’s position.
Pakistan Left Isolated
Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, had urged the Council to take up the issue of deteriorating regional security. However, the informal nature of the meeting—held in a consultation room and not the main UNSC chamber—meant that no formal records or binding decisions were made. The lack of support and growing skepticism toward Pakistan’s narrative underscored its isolation.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also weighed in—condemning the Pahalgam attack in strong terms and urging both nations to step back from the brink. Calling the killing of civilians “awful” and unacceptable under any circumstances, Guterres stressed that only dialogue—not violence—could resolve such disputes.
“This is a time for maximum restraint,” he warned, cautioning that any military misstep could spiral out of control.
The Secretary-General acknowledged that India-Pakistan relations are currently at one of their most strained points in years, and he reaffirmed the UN’s readiness to assist in any diplomatic effort to cool tensions.
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