NEW DELHI: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will convene behind closed doors on Monday to discuss escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam. The meeting was requested by Pakistan, which currently holds a non-permanent seat on the 15-member Council. Greece, serving as Council president for May, will preside over the session.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the country will brief the Council on what it describes as “India’s aggressive actions and provocative statements,” and will raise concerns about New Delhi’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty. Islamabad claims these actions threaten regional peace and stability.
The Security Council comprises five permanent members with veto power—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and ten rotating non-permanent members, including Pakistan, Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia.
Tensions have flared since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians. The attack has been widely condemned, including by Greece’s Permanent Representative to the UN and current UNSC president, Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris. He said a meeting was warranted to allow all sides to express their views, potentially helping to de-escalate the situation.
“This might help to diffuse a bit of tension,” Sekeris told reporters last week. “We are in close contact… this is something that might happen sooner rather than later. We are preparing.”
When asked about Pakistan’s role as a source of cross-border terrorism—a long-standing Indian allegation—Sekeris acknowledged the seriousness of the issue. “It’s a very pertinent issue. As a matter of principle, we strongly condemn any act of terrorism,” he said, referring to the “heinous” Pahalgam attack.
He expressed condolences to the governments of India and Nepal and the families of the victims, reiterating that terrorism must be condemned “in all its forms, everywhere it is happening.”
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reportedly reached out to all Security Council members except China and Pakistan. According to news agency PTI, he emphasized that the perpetrators, sponsors, and planners of the attack must be held accountable.
