ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations Masood Khan has credited Pakistan with helping mediate between the United States and Iran, saying Islamabad stepped into a peacemaking role he believes should have been led by the UN.
Speaking on Pakistan TV Digital’s South Speaks with Saqib, Khan, who served as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva and New York, said the UN Charter assigns the organization responsibility for preventing war and maintaining international peace.
“The UN Charter says that it is the responsibility of the United Nations to save the world from the scourge of war. So who stepped forward to save the world from the scourge of war? It was Pakistan,” Khan said.
Pakistan played a central diplomatic role during the US-Iran conflict, facilitating communication between the two sides and hosting talks in Islamabad. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in April that Pakistan had helped mediate several rounds of negotiations between Washington and Tehran and would continue facilitating dialogue.
Pakistan’s efforts also extended to wider regional diplomacy as Islamabad sought to prevent the conflict from escalating across the Middle East. The Foreign Office has repeatedly said Pakistan’s approach was centered on diplomacy, dialogue and a negotiated settlement, while engaging both sides and regional partners.
The mediation role subsequently drew international attention, with outside assessments describing Pakistan as an important channel between Washington and Tehran during efforts to secure ceasefires and advance negotiations.
Khan, in an interview with Pakistan TV Digital Editor-in-Chief Saqib Tanveer, said the experience also exposed “failure” in the UN’s ability to respond to major conflicts.
“The United Nations desperately needs reform, particularly after its striking failure during the war between the United States and Iran,” he said, adding that Gulf countries were affected while the UN could not intercede.
Khan said Pakistan’s prime minister will address both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council this year, given Pakistan’s current membership of the Security Council, and will carry a significant responsibility in briefing the international community on prospects for renewed US-Iran talks.
On Security Council reform, Khan said Pakistan opposes the creation of new permanent seats, rejecting the bids of Brazil, India, Japan and Germany.
“There should be no new permanent members, because that would fossilize the United Nations and the Security Council,” he said. “There are four countries which want to become permanent members... and we are saying no, no, no, thank you.”
He said Pakistan instead proposes flexible, longer-term seats and special consideration for Africa as the most underrepresented continent, alongside reform of the veto, which he said leaves permanent members unaccountable to the wider membership.
Turning to Kashmir, Khan said the dispute remains an active Security Council agenda item, first raised in 1948, followed by roughly a dozen resolutions.
“Kashmir is a nuclear flashpoint, which was demonstrated amply last year,” he said, arguing that had the conflict escalated further, “the entire globe would have suffered from the consequences of such a war.”