Pakistan chastised for Pahalgam ‘false-flag' theory & ‘nuclear rhetoric' at closed-door UNSC meet
Taking up the issue with the UNSC, Islamabad requested a closed-door meeting, which ended without a clear statement or official resolution.
New Delhi: Pakistan's 'false flag' theory on the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam fell apart at the United Nations Security Council Monday, as the UNSC members chastised Islamabad for its escalatory 'nuclear rhetoric', ThePrint has learnt.
The sources said that some of the UNSC members, specifically, raised the issue of targeting tourists based on their religion and 'expressed concern' over the missile tests conducted by Pakistan, of late.
Pakistan, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, requested a discussion on the 'India-Pakistan question'. Its attempt to take the issue to the UN had also faced pushback from the Security Council members, who had been asking Pakistan to solve the issue bilaterally with India.
Pakistan's term in the UNSC will finish at the end of 2026. Islamabad has received little international support after the Pahalgam terror attack. On 23 April, a day after the attack, India publicly announced cross-border linkages to the attack. It also imposed punitive measures on Pakistan, including holding the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance.
Islamabad's permanent representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, raised the issue of punitive measures at the closed-door meeting, while briefing the UNSC members of 'threat of kinetic action' by India against it, said a statement published by Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry.
The statement from Pakistan added that Ahmed warned the UNSC members that any attempt by India to obstruct or divert the flow of Indus would 'constitute an act of war'.
India's diplomatic measures
New Delhi has imposed several punitive diplomatic measures since the Pahalgam terror attack, including reducing the strength of Pakistan's High Commission in India to 30 from 55, as well as expelling the three defence advisers and also annulling the position.
India also announced that all Pakistani nationals under various visa categories should leave the country by 1 May this year and closed the Attari border crossing.
Subsequently, India has imposed more restrictions, banning the import of all goods of Pakistani origin, cutting the sending and receiving of parcels, and banning Indian flag-bearing vessels from docking in Pakistan. Also, Pakistani flag-bearing ships will not be allowed to berth at Indian ports.
Islamabad announced its measures on 24 April, saying it 'shall exercise' the right to hold all bilateral agreements, including the Simla Agreement, 1972, in abeyance. However, it is, so far, unclear whether Islamabad has issued a notification on this. On 25 April, India officially notified Pakistan of holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
The closed-door UNSC meeting came hours after the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, made a public statement on the rising tensions between India and Pakistan, urging the two countries to 'avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control'.
'Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink. That has been my message in my ongoing outreach to both countries. Make no mistake: A military solution is no solution. And I offer my good offices to both governments in the service of peace,' Guterres said Monday.
The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and called on bringing to justice the perpetrators through 'credible and lawful means.'
On Monday, India's Ministry of Home Affairs called on several states to hold mock drills on 7 May due to rising tensions with Pakistan. The drills include making the air raid sirens operational and training civilians on the civil defence aspects so they can better protect themselves.
New Delhi has received support from several international leaders, including US President Donald Trump, to find and bring the perpetrators to justice. Islamabad has received diplomatic support from Azerbaijan and Türkiye, with Baku calling for a 'transparent international investigation' to resolve the current situation.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: TLP chief tells Pakistanis to take up arms against India. People call him rioter & a sell-out
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
6 minutes ago
- First Post
Gaza receives emergency food drops from Jordan, UAE, and Israel as UN warns of mass starvation
Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday as Israel launched a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to address a worsening hunger crisis. The UN has warned of famine-like conditions affecting hundreds of thousands. read more Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday, as Israel began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. The Israeli military said it had also begun airdropping food into the Palestinian territory – making one drop of seven palettes – while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he characterised as UN 'lies' that his government was to blame for the dire humanitarian situation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The army also dismissed allegations that it had been using starvation as a weapon, saying it had coordinated with the UN and international agencies to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip'. UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed the tactical pauses, saying he was in 'contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window'. But the UN's World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 people were 'enduring famine-like conditions' that were already leading to deaths. The Israeli decision came as international pressure mounted on Netanyahu's government to head off the risk of mass starvation in the territory. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined the chorus of concern on Sunday, urging Netanyahu 'to provide the starving civilian population in Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid now.' Accusing the UN of fabricating 'pretexts and lies about Israel' blocking aid, Netanyahu said in remarks at an airbase that 'there are secure routes' for aid. 'There have always been, but today it's official. There will be no more excuses,' he added. Since Israel imposed a total blockade on aid entering Gaza on March 2, the situation inside the territory has deteriorated sharply. More than 100 NGOs warned this week of 'mass starvation'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Though aid has trickled back in since late May, the UN and humanitarian agencies say Israeli restrictions remain excessive and road access inside Gaza is tightly controlled. 'Life's wish' The Jordanian military said its planes, working with the United Arab Emirates, had delivered 25 tonnes of aid in three parachute drops over Gaza on Sunday. Truckloads of flour were also seen arriving in northern Gaza through the Zikim area crossing from Israel, according to AFP journalists. The charity Oxfam's regional policy chief Bushra Khalidi called Israel's latest moves a 'welcome first step' but warned they could prove insufficient. 'Starvation won't be solved by a few trucks or airdrops,' she said. 'What's needed is a real humanitarian response: ceasefire, full access, all crossings open, and a steady, large-scale flow of aid into Gaza. 'We need a permanent ceasefire, a complete lifting of the siege.' In general, humanitarian officials are deeply sceptical airdrops can deliver enough food safely to tackle the hunger crisis facing Gaza's more than two million inhabitants. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa district, 30-year-old Suad Ishtaywi said her 'life's wish' was to simply feed her children. She spoke of her husband returning empty-handed from aid points daily. Chaotic scenes broke out at the site where Israel conducted its first food drop, witnesses told AFP. Samih Humeid, a 23-year-old from the Al-Karama neighbourhood of Gaza City, said dozens of people had gathered to rush towards the palettes of supplies parachuted onto the area. 'It felt like a war, everyone trying to grab whatever they could. Hunger is merciless. The quantities were extremely limited, not enough even for a few people, because hunger is everywhere. I only managed to get three cans of fava beans,' he said. In a social media post, the Israeli military announced it had 'carried out an airdrop of humanitarian aid as part of the ongoing efforts to allow and facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip'. AFP journalists saw Egyptian trucks crossing from Rafah, with cargo routed through Israel's Kerem Shalom checkpoint for inspection before entering Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Israeli army's daily pause from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm will be limited to areas where its troops are not currently operating – Al-Mawasi in the south, central Deir el-Balah and Gaza City in the north. Israel said 'designated secure routes' would also open across Gaza for aid convoys carrying food and medicine. The military said the measures should disprove 'the false claim of deliberate starvation'. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing 'reasonable grounds' to suspect war crimes including starvation – charges Israel vehemently denies. Activists intercepted On Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency, Israeli army fire killed 27 Palestinians, 12 of them near aid distribution areas. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties. Separately, the Israeli navy brought an activist boat, the Handala operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, into the part of Ashdod, after intercepting and boarding it late Saturday to prevent it attempting to breach a maritime blockade of Gaza. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The legal rights centre Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had met with 19 of the 21 detained activists and journalists from 10 countries. The other two detainees, dual US-Israeli nationals, had been transferred to Israeli police custody, the group said. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The Israeli campaign has killed 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Hans India
6 minutes ago
- Hans India
Delhi: JP Nadda joins veterans in Defence Colony for Mann Ki Baat
BJP National President and Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Sunday led the party's Delhi unit leaders in tuning in to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' radio show in the company of veterans. Nadda listened to the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme at Defence Colony along with Vinod Tawde, Baijayant Jay Panda, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, Bansuri Swaraj, and retired army officers at an event coordinated by local MLA Neeraj Basoya. Additionally, the Delhi BJP made arrangements for the public to listen to the programme across 14 organisational districts. Sachdeva stated that PM Modi consistently strives to bring positive stories and initiatives from across the country to the public through Mann Ki Baat. As a result, the programme has now become a people's movement. He added that the way PM Modi highlighted how science in the 21st century is rapidly progressing with renewed energy is commendable. He mentioned the recent success of Indian students at the International Chemistry Olympiad and that students also won three golds, two silvers, and one bronze medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad held in Australia — a matter of great pride. Elsewhere, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra and Delhi BJP's Organisational General Secretary Pawan Rana listened to the programme in Gharauli, East Delhi, with Mayur Vihar District President Vijendra Dhama and party workers. Earlier, the Delhi BJP President paid tribute to the three civil services aspirants who tragically drowned on July 27, 2024, due to sewer backflow in the basement of a coaching centre in Rajendra Nagar, as well as a student who died from electrocution due to a hanging wire in Patel Nagar. Sachdeva stated that due to criminal negligence and corruption by the Arvind Kejriwal government, no proper cleaning of drains and sewers was carried out in 2024, which led to the untimely deaths of these four talented students – Naveen Dalwin, Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni, and Nilesh Rai – along with nearly 50 other citizens of various ages, who died due to drowning in waterlogged areas. The Bharatiya Janata Party had promised in its 2025 election manifesto that it would seriously address the issue of waterlogging, and we are satisfied that our government has managed to keep waterlogging to a minimum. Sachdeva further stated that the BJP-led Delhi government had pledged to prevent the recurrence of such accidents in Rajendra Nagar, Patel Nagar, Moti Nagar, Burari, Kirari, and other areas. 'We are proud that, unlike last year when over 50 lives were lost due to waterlogging in Delhi, no such incidents occurred this year due to the vigilance and preparedness of the government,' he said.
Hans India
6 minutes ago
- Hans India
Gangaikonda Cholapuram committee hails announcement of grand statues for Chola emperors
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday offered prayers at the ancient Shiva temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Tamil Nadu and also announced that grand statues of Chola emperors Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola will be erected to honour their contributions to Indian history and culture. The Prime Minister's promise of constructing new and grand statues of Chola emperors has been welcomed and deeply appreciated by Gangaikonda Cholapuram Development Committee. Gomagan, the president of Gangaikonda Cholapuram development committee expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister and said that this is a joyous moment for all of us. 'The visit of PM Modi to Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a joyous event for all of us. Since 2014, we have been celebrating the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival on behalf of the Gangaikonda Cholapuram development committee. In this context, we express our gratitude to Chief Minister Stalin for recognizing the Aadi Thiruvathirai festival as a state festival from the year 2022,' he said. He further said: "We thank PM Modi for his pledge to build a grand statue for Rajendra Chola, who is renowned for constructing a large navy amongst Indian kings and for leading Naval campaigns in the Southeast Asia." A special tribute was also paid to Rajendra Chola with the release of Rs 1,000 coin featuring his likeness, which brings pride and joy to all of us, Gangaikonda Cholapuram committee further said. Speaking during a special function at the historic Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple in Ariyalur district, PM Modi said that the Chola empire represented a golden era of India, marked by achievements in architecture, governance, diplomacy, trade, and cultural integration. 'The Cholas established strong political and trade ties with Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Southeast Asia. It is a coincidence that I returned from the Maldives yesterday, and today I stand here in the land once ruled by these visionary kings,' he remarked.
