Pakistan begins two-year UNSC term, reaffirms commitment to Afghanistan peace

Joining the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, Pakistan on Thursday stressed the importance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan as vital for ensuring regional harmony.

As part of the joining ceremony, flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members — Pakistan, along with Denmark, Greece, Panama and Somalia — were installed at the UNSC’s stakeout at UN Headquarters in New York.

The new members replaced Japan, Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland whose terms ended on December 31, 2024.

Addressing the Afghanistan issue, Pakistan’s envoy affirmed that the issue remains a key item on the UN Security Council’s permanent agenda.

“We continue discussions on Afghanistan at the multilateral and bilateral levels,” Pakistan’s Alternate Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad remarked, adding, “Our position is crystal clear—we want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, as regional peace is directly tied to stability there.”

“We will continue to discuss Afghanistan at the multilateral and bilateral levels,” he said. “Our position is very clear and we want a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, because peace in the region is directly linked to stability there.”

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are planned in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied the claim, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s “security failure”.