Pakistan’s UNSC Posts Present Diplomatic Challenge for India’s Fight Against Terror

Recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Pakistan’s appointment as chair and vice chair of two important United Nations Security Council (UNSC) committees

Pakistan’s Entry to the UNSC

• UNSC Composition: The UNSC comprises 15 members: 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members.
• Pakistan’s Term: Pakistan was elected as a non-permanent member starting January 1, 2024, with its term concluding on December 31, 2025. This marks Pakistan’s 8th term on the council.
• UNSC Mandate: The UNSC is primarily responsible for addressing matters of peace, imposing sanctions, and authorizing military actions.
• Pakistan’s Representative: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN is Asim Iftikar Ahmad.

Pakistan’s Key UNSC Appointments and Presidencies

• Committee Chair: Pakistan will Chair the Taliban Sanctions Committee (established under Resolution 1988).
• Committee Vice-Chair: Pakistan will serve as Vice-Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (established under Resolution 1373).
• Co-Chair of Working Groups:
  • Pakistan will Co-Chair the Docs & Procedures Group with Denmark.
  • Pakistan will also Co-Chair the New Sanctions Effectiveness Group with Greece.
• UNSC Presidency: Pakistan is slated to preside over the UNSC in July 2025.

Taliban and Terror Committees Background

• Resolution 1988 (Taliban Sanctions): This resolution, adopted in 2011, is responsible for monitoring sanctions specifically imposed on the Taliban.
• Resolution 1373 (Counter-Terrorism): Passed in the aftermath of 9/11, Resolution 1373 mandates global steps for counter-terrorism efforts among UN member states.

Significance of Committee Roles

• Influencing Agenda and Tone: These committees hold substantial influence over the agenda and tone of discussions within the broader Security Council. This allows the chairing or co-chairing nations to shape narratives and priorities.
• Diplomatic Influence: It is crucial to note that these roles primarily offer diplomatic leverage and influence, rather than direct military power. 
  • Pakistan can utilize these positions to manipulate narratives or guide discussions in ways that align with its foreign policy objectives.

India’s Concerns at the UNSC

• Exposing Terror Infrastructure: India has actively worked to expose Pakistan’s alleged involvement in maintaining and supporting terror infrastructure.
• Extensive Diplomatic Outreach: To highlight its concerns, India dispatched delegations to key international capitals, including the US, UK, Russia, Brussels, and the UN Headquarters. Notably, Pakistan was intentionally excluded from India’s outreach efforts in this context.
• Dilution of Pahalgam Statement: India expressed strong dissatisfaction with the UNSC’s statement on the recent Pahalgam attack, asserting that its condemnation was diluted compared to previous condemnations of terror attacks in India. 
  • This suggests that Pakistan, potentially with the backing of allies like China, may have influenced the wording to soften it.
• UNSC Discussion on “India-Pak Question”: On May 5, 2025, the UNSC held a closed-door consultation on the “India-Pakistan Question.” 
  • This marked the first time the UNSC formally discussed this issue since 2019, when it was convened at China’s request following India’s revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The recent discussion was reportedly requested by Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Diplomatic Engagements

• Global Outreach: Pakistan dispatched high-level delegations to key international centers, including the UN Headquarters in New York, Washington D.C., Moscow, Brussels, and London. 
  • These delegations, often led by senior current and former ministers, aimed to present Pakistan’s narrative on recent conflicts and diplomatic issues.
• Indus Waters Treaty Revival: A primary objective of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts was to push for the immediate resumption of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). 
  • India had previously suspended the IWT after the Pahalgam attack, citing Pakistan’s alleged role in cross-border terrorism.

India’s Counter Narrative

• Misuse of Funds: India has been urging international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank to rethink financial support to Pakistan, alleging that these funds could be misused to finance activities against India.
• FATF Grey List Push: India has also decided to revamp its push for Pakistan’s re-inclusion in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. 
  • Pakistan was removed from the grey list in 2022, but India aims to highlight continued concerns regarding terror financing within Pakistan.

Afghanistan-Pakistan-China Triangle

• Upgraded Diplomatic Ties: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to upgrade their diplomatic relations to the ambassador level. 
  • This significant development came about through a trilateral meeting of Foreign Ministers from China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
• China’s Dual Role: China’s deep and developing ties with both the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and its long-standing strategic partnership with Pakistan complicate the regional dynamic. 
  • Beijing actively mediated the recent improvement in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.
• Taliban’s Balancing Act: The Taliban regime continues to walk a tightrope, balancing its relations with both India and Pakistan.
  • While historically closer to Pakistan-backed elements, recent developments indicate a desire to maintain pragmatic engagement with India, especially for economic and humanitarian reasons.
• Challenges for India: This evolving situation presents fresh hurdles for India’s regional diplomacy. 
  • The strengthening of the Pakistan-Afghanistan axis, under China’s mediation, could potentially limit India’s strategic space and influence in Afghanistan. India’s efforts to engage with the Taliban for stability and counter-terrorism purposes may now face additional complexities due to this reinforced regional alignment.

China-Pakistan Coordination

• Coordinated Narratives: Both nations consistently coordinate to present narratives that often accuse India of various destabilizing actions.
• Blaming India: They frequently accuse India of backing Baloch insurgents responsible for attacks in Pakistan. 
  • They also attempt to blame India and Afghanistan for Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terror strikes.
• Opposition to India’s UNSC Bid: China strongly opposes India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UNSC. 
  • Beijing often advocates for a “package solution” to UNSC reforms, a stance widely seen as a tactic to delay or deny India’s aspirations for permanent membership.
• Blocking Indian Proposals: China routinely uses its position as a permanent member with veto power to block proposals put forth by India, particularly those related to designating Pakistan-based terrorists under UN sanctions. 
  • This has been observed repeatedly in cases involving individuals linked to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Impact of Pakistan’s UNSC Role

• Obstruction and Narrative Control: Pakistan can utilize its position to delay or water down discussions on issues unfavorable to its interests, particularly those concerning terrorism originating from its soil. It will undoubtedly use these platforms to internationalize its anti-India claims, including raising the Kashmir issue and attempting to deflect terror charges against itself.
• Obstructing India’s UNSC Bid: Pakistan will actively campaign against India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UNSC, leveraging its presence on the council to build opposition.
• Influence Without Veto: While Pakistan, as a non-permanent member, does not possess veto power, its influence should not be underestimated. 
  • Its leadership roles in crucial committees, such as the Taliban Sanctions Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Committee, grant it significant power to shape agendas, influence discussions, and guide committee decisions, potentially hindering India’s efforts to designate Pakistan-based terrorists. 
  • Its upcoming presidency of the UNSC in July 2025 will also provide a procedural advantage in setting the agenda and convening meetings.

Way Forward

• Post-‘Operation Sindoor’: India must aggressively push its narrative globally, especially in the aftermath of “Operation Sindoor.” 
  • This involves clearly articulating India’s position on cross-border terrorism and the need to dismantle terror infrastructure in Pakistan, leveraging its extensive diplomatic outreach.
• Exposing Terror Funding: India should continue to highlight and expose Pakistan’s alleged misuse of international financial aid from institutions like the IMF and World Bank for terror financing. 
  • This requires consistent engagement with these bodies to ensure stricter oversight and conditionalities on aid.
• Reviving FATF Scrutiny: India must revive its efforts to press for Pakistan’s re-inclusion in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. This involves presenting compelling evidence of Pakistan’s continued shortcomings in combating money laundering and terror financing.
• Multilateral Forum Pressure: India needs to maintain constant pressure on Pakistan through various multilateral forums beyond the UN, such as the G7 and QUAD. 
  • These platforms offer opportunities to build international consensus and support for India’s counter-terrorism efforts.
• Aggressive Counter-Narrative: India must actively and aggressively counter the coordinated narratives propagated by the China-Pakistan axis, particularly their accusations against India regarding Baloch insurgents and TTP terror strikes. 
  • This requires proactive public diplomacy and strong rebuttals at every available international forum.

Conclusion

The influence of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) member is not solely derived from veto power. Instead, the ability to shape narratives and control the framing of discussions holds significant diplomatic weight.