Kumar Bahukhandi
Pakistan has again cried foul to the UN over Kashmir-Photo- X@PakistanUN_NY/ Reuters
Pakistan on Tuesday July 2 , 2025 took over hosting of the United Nations Security Council for a month. At the very beginning of hosting, it has made an unsuccessful attempt to corner India. In this attempt, it has raised the issue of Kashmir.
Pakistan was elected as a temporary member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in January 2025 and now under rotation, it has got the presidency of the UNSC on Tuesday July 1, 2025 . Its presidency rotates in alphabetical order among the five permanent members of the UNSC (USA, Russia, China, France and Britain) and 10 temporary members, i.e., 15 members of the Council. Each member holds the presidency for one month and Pakistan has got the presidency for the month of July. As soon as it got the presidency, Pakistan has opened a front against India and has once again raised the old issue of Kashmir, about which India has always said that it is a bilateral issue.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, has said that the UNSC should take necessary steps to resolve the Kashmir issue. The Pakistani envoy, while trying to internationalize the bilateral issue, said that the disputed issue of Kashmir remains a matter of serious tension between India and Pakistan.
Speaking at the New York headquarters of the United Nations, the Pakistani ambassador said, ‘The world now needs to work on this issue. This is the time to talk about the Kashmir issue and I would say that it is not only Pakistan’s responsibility… we are temporary here… temporary members for two years. I believe that this is also an issue of the Security Council, especially the permanent members of the Council, that they take such steps so that this issue can be resolved according to the provisions of the United Nations itself. This is the only way.’
Cancellation of Shimla Agreement and Pakistan’s cry over Kashmir
On 22 April, 26 people were killed in a Pakistan-sponsored attack in Pahalgam. In response, India suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and launched Operation Sindoor against terrorists based in Pakistan and POK.
After this, a four-day war broke out between India and Pakistan. After being badly beaten in the conflict with India, a bewildered Pakistan cancelled the Shimla Agreement with India. Under this agreement, it was decided that both countries would resolve mutual issues bilaterally.
It is another matter that Pakistan had raised the Kashmir issue several times on global forums even while it was in the agreement. After cancelling the Shimla Agreement, it has now got a free hand to raise bilateral issues with India on international forums.
However, given the weak position of the United Nations, it does not seem that Pakistan will be very successful in internationalizing this issue. Anyway, the two axes of the world, America and Russia, which are also permanent members of the UNSC, are close to India.
India has always been saying that the Kashmir issue is its internal matter and Kashmir is an integral part of India and there should be no discussion on it. India has clearly said that if there will be talks with Pakistan, then the talks will be on returning the illegally occupied Kashmir to India. In such a situation, it does not seem that Pakistan will be able to succeed in its objective against India.
