India (Commonwealth Union)_ Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) convened closed-door consultations on Monday to discuss the deteriorating situation in the region following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The 15-member Security Council, including five permanent and ten non-permanent members, met for approximately 90 minutes in an unscheduled session initiated at Pakistan’s request. The meeting came in the aftermath of a brutal attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, where 25 tourists and a local pony ride operator were killed. The assault, which drew international condemnation, was reportedly carried out by militants linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Although the session concluded without an official statement from the Council, diplomatic sources revealed that the tone of the meeting was somber and urgent.
Also read: On the Brink: U.S. Rushes to Stop War Between Nuclear Rivals India and Pakistan!
The UNSC holds closed consultations on Indo-Pak tensions after the Pahalgam attack in response to what was described by many member states as a volatile and potentially escalatory situation between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Pakistan, currently serving as a non-permanent member of the Council, had formally requested the meeting through Greece, which holds the rotating presidency of the UNSC for May. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, briefed the media after the session. He stated that the purpose of the consultations was to discuss the growing regional insecurity and to explore options to de-escalate the standoff. “Our goal was to bring attention to the rising threat of confrontation and urge responsible international engagement to prevent further deterioration,” Ambassador Ahmad said. He also rejected allegations of Pakistani involvement in the Pahalgam attack and criticized India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it a breach of international law.
Also read: Terror Strikes Paradise: The Kashmir Attack That Could Ignite a New India-Pakistan Crisis
Inside the chamber, however, the consultations reportedly took a more critical turn for Islamabad. According to sources cited by news agencies, several council members strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack and called for accountability, dismissing Pakistan’s claims of a false flag operation. Delegates also expressed serious concerns over Pakistan’s recent missile tests and its recurring use of nuclear rhetoric, viewing them as destabilizing elements. Khaled Mohamed Khiari of Tunisia, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, provided the Council with a briefing on behalf of both the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA and DPO). Khiari emphasized the urgency of dialogue and peaceful resolution, describing the current state of affairs as volatile.
Also read: Modi’s Saudi Diplomacy Interrupted: Why He Left Jeddah in a Hurry After Kashmir Attack
Greek Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, presiding over the Council, termed the meeting productive and helpful. A Russian diplomat present at the session echoed this sentiment, expressing hope that tensions would soon de-escalate. The overarching consensus, according to diplomats, was a call for both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and pursue diplomacy rather than confrontation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, ahead of the meeting, had already voiced deep concern over the tensions. “A military solution is not a solution,” he said, urging both nations to step back from the brink of conflict. Guterres unequivocally condemned the Pahalgam attack, calling it a heinous act targeting innocent civilians. “Those responsible must be held accountable through lawful means,” he stated.
Despite the intensity of the discussions, Indian officials and observers remained dismissive of the outcome. India’s former UN envoy Syed Akbaruddin remarked that such meetings, initiated by one party to the conflict, rarely produce substantive results. “Pakistan’s grandstanding has once again fallen flat,” he told the press. “Indian diplomacy has effectively neutralized efforts to internationalize a bilateral issue.” As the UNSC holds closed consultations on Indo-Pak tensions after the Pahalgam attack, the international community remains watchful. With both sides under pressure and regional stability at stake, calls for dialogue and responsible statecraft grow louder by the day.
