Pakistan, China Work to Dilute UNSC Statement on Pahalgam Attack

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. However, sources indicate that Pakistan, a non-permanent member of the Council, collaborated with China to soften the language of the condemnation before it was finalised.

While the UNSC emphasised the need for international cooperation to bring the perpetrators of the “reprehensible act of terrorism” to justice, it notably avoided explicitly calling for cooperation with the “Government of India”. Instead, the statement urged cooperation with “all relevant authorities”. This is a departure from the Council’s response to the 2019 Pulwama attack, where the statement specifically mentioned the Indian government alongside relevant authorities.

The UNSC reaffirmed that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security” and stressed that such acts are “criminal and unjustifiable”, regardless of their motivations or origins.

Diplomatic sources revealed that the statement, originally proposed by the United States, followed intense negotiations. Pakistan reportedly worked with China to prevent the naming of the Indian government in the final wording, wary that doing so could be seen as a diplomatic victory for New Delhi.

Despite denying any involvement in the Pahalgam massacre, Pakistan had previously refrained from condemning the attack, only expressing regret over the loss of tourists’ lives. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later stated that Islamabad is open to a “neutral and transparent” investigation into the incident, rather than supporting an Indian-led probe.