ISLAMABAD(The COW News Digital)Pakistan has once again called upon the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take concrete and urgent action on the longstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute, emphasizing that a political solution is both necessary and overdue.
Addressing a UNSC session on the theme “Adapting UN Peacekeeping Missions to Promote Political Solutions: Priorities and Challenges”, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram (Correction: Asim Iftikhar Ahmad), underlined the need for all peace missions to be rooted in political processes. He warned that the Kashmir issue remains a test of the UN’s credibility, questioning the international community’s commitment to peace and justice.
“The need for a political solution is abundantly clear — and nowhere more pressing than in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, which has remained on this Council’s agenda for decades,” the ambassador said.
Highlighting Pakistan’s strong legacy of global peacekeeping, Ambassador Iftikhar stated that Pakistan has contributed over 235,000 troops to 48 UN peacekeeping missions across four continents, with 182 personnel sacrificing their lives in the service of peace. Pakistan remains one of the largest troop-contributing countries and a founding member of the UN Peacebuilding Commission.
He stressed that UN peacekeeping missions must align with political strategies, not function in isolation. Referring to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), he described it as a standing proof that the Kashmir issue remains unresolved and internationally recognized.
The ambassador further noted that the year 2025 is pivotal, with key UN review processes underway — including the Summit of the Future, Peacebuilding Architecture Review, and the UN80 Initiative. These, he said, should be leveraged to reinforce the political foundations of peacekeeping operations.
Ambassador Iftikhar expressed concern that no new UN peace mission has been deployed in over a decade, reflecting a weakening of the UN’s leadership in conflict resolution. He urged the organization to reinvigorate the principles outlined in the 2015 HIPPO Report, namely: Politics, Partnership, and People.
He concluded by reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering support for UN-led peace processes, and called for the UNSC to fulfill its responsibility by implementing its own resolutions on Kashmir and respecting the will of the Kashmiri people.
