The call was made by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, during a UN Security Council open debate focused on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, according to Radio Pakistan.
Addressing the council, Ambassador Ahmad stressed that innocent civilians should never be treated as collateral damage, reminding the international community that protecting these populations is the fundamental reason the United Nations was created.
Unhindered aid and accountability in Palestine
Turning his attention to the Middle East, the Pakistani envoy highlighted the immense suffering currently being endured by civilians in Palestine.
He argued that the scale of the humanitarian crisis demands immediate, safe, and unhindered access for aid organizations to deliver life-saving relief to those in desperate need.
Furthermore, Ambassador Ahmad insisted on robust accountability for international law violations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and independent statehood.
Decades of foreign occupation in Jammu and Kashmir
The Ambassador also raised the long-standing dispute of IIOJK, pointing out that the issue has lingered on the Security Council’s agenda for more than seven decades.
He criticized the severe conditions faced by civilians living under foreign occupation, citing massive militarisation, arbitrary detentions, and harsh restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
Ambassador Ahmad also condemned ongoing attempts at demographic engineering in the region and urged the UN to secure the Kashmiri people’s internationally recognized right to self-determination, pledging that Pakistan would continue to champion the protection of civilians wherever they are threatened.