Amid the escalating violence in Afghanistan, a meeting was convened on Friday at UNSC under India’s presidency….reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan has expressed its displeasure at not being invited to the special meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Afghanistan.
Amid the escalating violence in Afghanistan, a meeting was convened on Friday at UNSC under India’s presidency. At a presser after the UNSC meeting on Friday, Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN said, “We made a formal request for participation but it was denied.”
Later on Saturday, Pakistan Foreign Office expressed regret for not getting an invite for the special session on Afghanistan, “Not acceding to Pakistan’s request to address the #UNSC session on Afghanistan, as well as to make the platform available to enable the peddling of false narratives against Pakistan, is a matter of deep regret,” Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.
At the UNSC’s special meeting on Friday, member states expressed concern about the deteriorating situation and called for a political settlement.
Afghan Ambassador to the UN Ghulam Isaczai said that Afghanistan is prepared to provide the Security Council with material evidence in support of its claim that Pakistan is ensuring a supply chain to the Taliban.
“Should members of the Security Council want that evidence, we are ready to provide them,” Ghulam said. He added that the Afghan government has been in constant contact with the Pakistani government about the matter and has provided Islamabad with the evidence.
Afghan envoy also said the Taliban is receiving assistance from foreign fighters of transnational terrorist networks while committing “barbaric” acts in the war-torn country.
“In a deliberate act of barbarism Taliban isn’t alone. They’re assisted by foreign fighters from transnational terrorist networks. Together they are threatening peace, security and stability in Afghanistan and also in our region and beyond, Isaczai said.
Afghanistan has repeatedly accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists in its territory and supporting the Taliban offensive against the Afghan government forces.
UNSC condemns attack in KP
The UNSC on Friday condemned “in the strongest term” the terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan on July 14, which resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, three Pakistanis, and left many injured.
In a statement, UNSC President TS Tirumurti said that the members of the UN Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.
Thirteen people, including nine Chinese nationals and two frontier corps soldiers, were killed while 39 others were injured when a bus carrying them to a site of the under-construction Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dasu Dam exploded on July 14. The bus fell into a deep ravine after the explosion.
The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.
The members “urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Governments of Pakistan and China, as well as all other relevant authorities in this regard”.
The UNSC reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed”.
It reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in “accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts”. (ANI)