UNSC may meet 'sooner than later' to discuss India-Pakistan tensions

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed at least 26 lives, most of them tourists

UNSC may soon hold consultations on India–Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed at least 26 people. Ceasefire violations and diplomatic escalation continue.

 

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) could soon hold consultations on the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, with Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, Greece’s Permanent Representative to the UN and current UNSC President, saying a meeting “might happen sooner rather than later.”

 

Speaking at a press briefing on the first day of Greece’s month-long UNSC presidency, Sekeris said the Council was “in close contact” and preparing for the possibility of discussions. He added that if a formal request was submitted, it would be “an opportunity to have views expressed” and possibly “help diffuse a bit [of the] tensions” between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

 

“We are listening, of course, we are monitoring closely the situation and will be seized on the matter, of course. This is certain that will happen,” he said.

 

“Of course, if a request comes for a meeting, then… I think this meeting should take place because, as we said, maybe it’s also an opportunity to have views expressed and this might help to diffuse a bit tensions. We will see,” said Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of May.

 

“We are in close contact… but this is something which might happen, I would say, sooner rather than later. We will see, we are preparing. It’s the first day of our (UNSC) presidency.” 

 

US urges restraint after Pahalgam violence

 

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke separately with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Expressing his condolences for the victims of the Pahalgam attack, Rubio urged both nations to exercise restraint and prioritise regional peace. 

 

Pahalgam attack sparks cross-border tensions

The statement comes amid rising hostilities across the Line of Control (LoC) following the deadly 22 April terrorist attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley, which claimed at least 26 lives, most of them tourists. The incident has escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, with both neighbours taking retaliatory actions on diplomatic and military fronts.   

Ceasefire violations reported across multiple LoC sectors

The Indian Army reported that Pakistani posts along the LoC continued ceasefire violations for the eighth consecutive night, targeting areas in Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Naushera, Akhnoor, Uri, and Sunderbani. “Our troops responded in a calibrated and proportionate manner,” the Indian Army said in a statement on Friday. 

 

India, Pakistan escalate diplomatic retaliation

The aftermath of the Pahalgam attack has triggered a series of retaliatory measures. India has cancelled visas for Pakistani nationals residing in the country and blocked access to Instagram accounts of several prominent Pakistani celebrities, including Hania Amir, Mahira Khan, and Ali Zafar.

 

On its part, Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian flights and shut down the Attari–Wagah border for cross-border movement. Both nations have also suspended key bilateral agreements, including the Indus Waters Treaty and the Simla Agreement.