UNSC questions Pakistan's nuclear rhetoric, missile tests and LeT role in Pahalgam attack

UNSC members rejected Pakistan’s narrative, flagged LeT links, and expressed concern over its nuclear rhetoric and missile tests.

Members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) raised tough questions for Pakistan during a closed-door consultation held on Monday, sources said. The informal meeting, held at Pakistan’s request, focused on the deteriorating security environment in South Asia following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.

LeT Involvement Raised, Religious Targeting Criticised

Sources privy to the meeting told reporters that Council members refused to accept Pakistan’s “false flag” narrative and instead questioned whether terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was likely to be involved in the attack.

“There was broad condemnation of the terrorist attack and recognition of the need for accountability. Some members specifically brought up targeting of tourists on the basis of their religious faith,” sources were quoted as saying.

Concerns Over Missile Tests, Nuclear Rhetoric

The 90-minute-long consultations took place in a room adjacent to the Council chamber, and no official statement was issued following the discussions. However, several members reportedly expressed concern over Pakistan’s recent missile tests and nuclear rhetoric, viewing them as escalatory.

“Many members expressed concern that Pakistan’s missile tests and nuclear rhetoric were escalatory factors. Pakistan’s efforts to internationalise the situation also failed. They were advised to resolve issues bilaterally with India,” sources added.

Greece Presides Over Meeting; Khiari Briefs UNSC

The meeting was convened by Greece, the current UNSC President, after Pakistan requested discussions on the worsening ties between New Delhi and Islamabad. The Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, Khaled Mohamed Khiari, briefed members on behalf of the UN.

Coming out of the consultations, Khiari said there was a call for “dialogue and peaceful resolution of the conflict,” noting the “situation is volatile.”

Greek Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris described the discussions as “productive” and “helpful,” echoing earlier remarks that the meeting would provide “an opportunity to have views expressed and this might help to diffuse a bit tensions.”

Russia also called for calm. A Russian diplomat told reporters, “We hope for de-escalation.”

Pakistan Claims Objectives Achieved

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, claimed that his country’s objectives were “largely served and achieved” at the meeting. He reiterated Pakistan’s call for restraint and dialogue, while also expressing readiness to defend its sovereignty. Ahmad raised the Indus Waters Treaty issue, calling India’s suspension of the 1960 agreement a “grave” step and saying “water is life, not a weapon.”

“We remain open to dialogue based on mutual respect and sovereign equality,” he said.

India Dismisses Pakistan’s Efforts at UNSC

India, which is not currently a member of the UNSC, dismissed Pakistan’s attempts to internationalise the matter. Former Indian envoy to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, said: “Pakistan’s grandstanding has flopped again today as in the past. As was expected there was no meaningful response by the Council. Indian diplomacy has yet again successfully parried Pakistani efforts to seek the Security Council’s intervention.”

UN Chief Urges Restraint, Condemns Terror Attack

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also weighed in, calling the India-Pakistan tensions the “highest in years” and urging both sides to step back from the brink. He strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack, saying, “Targeting civilians is unacceptable – and those responsible must be brought to justice through credible and lawful means.”

The UNSC currently includes the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US — along with ten non-permanent members: Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia.