ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, delivered a strong rebuttal to remarks made by the Israeli delegate during a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.
The Pakistani ambassador’s statement was shared on X by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN on Friday.
Ambassador Ahmad opened his right of reply by saying: “The representative of Israel perhaps did not listen attentively … And in our view, it is unacceptable, indeed ludicrous, for an aggressor, an occupier, a serial violator of UN Charter and international law ‑ that is Israel ‑ to abuse this chamber and disrespect the sanctity of this Council.”
‘Baseless assertions’
He accused Israel of “pointing fingers on others, baseless assertions, primarily aimed at masking its own illegal actions and violations of international law.” The ambassador stated: “It is an occupier that does not listen to anyone; … it refutes, and not just refutes, it threatens members of the international community, international media, international human rights and humanitarian organizations, doesn't listen to the ICJ or the ICC, and threatens the UN and its senior officials; and it does that with impunity.”
He sharply criticized Israel’s posture of victimhood: “And like all occupiers, despite being the aggressor, it feigns and plays the victim, but today, it is totally exposed.”
Regarding the ongoing debates at the Council, the Ambassador said: “It is not because of anyone else. It is because of Israel that refuses to vacate its illegal occupation, and that blatantly violates the resolutions of this Council.”
‘Unrelated incident’
Addressing Israel’s attempt to draw parallels involving Pakistan, Ahmad said: “Israel also chose to refer to an unrelated incident and make misleading remarks regarding Pakistan in an effort to justify its own illegal actions and violations of international law. Pakistan's position on that incident has been clearly stated and is publicly available.”
He defended Pakistan’s record: “The international community is well aware of Pakistan's frontline role and sacrifices in the international community's fight against terrorism. The entire world, including our partners, acknowledge that Al Qaeda was largely decimated due to Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts. And we remained committed in this global, collective endeavor.”
‘Irresponsible rogue state’
He continued: “We cannot accept insinuations from an irresponsible rogue state. That is, in fact, the perpetrator of worst kind of state terrorism that we are witnessing in Gaza, and in fact, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for decades. And we reject any false analogy … For whatever way it interprets these statements … the occupying power must go back and read carefully the statement issued by the Security Council today. And let me read it out loud here …”
He then quoted the unanimously adopted Security Council statement, which among other things said: “The members of the Security Council expressed their condemnation of the recent strikes in Doha, … expressed deep regret at the loss of civilian life. … underscored the importance of de‑escalation … expressed their solidarity with Qatar … recalled their support for the vital role that Qatar continues to play in mediation efforts in the region … underscored that releasing the hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the war and suffering in Gaza must remain our top priority. … reiterated the importance of the ongoing diplomatic efforts of Qatar, Egypt and the US, and called for the parties to seize the opportunity for peace.”
