- Tariq Fatemi’s speech at the UNSC left the audience in pin-drop silence.
- Pakistan urged the UNSC to implement its resolutions on Kashmir.
- Fatemi highlighted Pakistan’s contributions to UN peacekeeping efforts.
- Millions of Kashmiris worldwide praised Fatemi’s powerful speech.
United Nations, New York – March 2025: A palpable tension filled the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) chamber as diplomats and world leaders gathered for a high-level meeting. But the moment Pakistan’s Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi, took the floor, the entire room fell silent. There was pin-drop silence as he reminded the Council of its own unfulfilled commitment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, a stark reminder that the decades-old resolutions were still waiting for implementation.
In a measured yet forceful diplomatic tone, Fatemi made Pakistan’s stance unequivocally clear: the UNSC must fulfill its responsibility by ensuring the implementation of its resolutions on the Kashmir dispute. His words were so compelling that participants were left with no choice but to acknowledge the weight of his argument.
UNSC Must Act on Kashmir, Says Pakistan
Pakistan has long insisted that the UNSC must implement its resolutions regarding the Kashmir dispute. In his address, Fatemi underscored the necessity of honoring the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination as promised under the Council’s own resolutions. He urged the international community to stop turning a blind eye to the crisis and take tangible steps to resolve the issue.
The issue has gained renewed urgency since August 2019, when India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) revoked the special status of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoK) by repealing Article 370 of its constitution. The move was widely condemned by Pakistan and international human rights organizations. In December 2023, India’s Supreme Court upheld the revocation, solidifying what many saw as the further marginalization of Kashmiris.
Following the elections in November 2024, the newly elected legislative assembly of IoK called for the restoration of the region’s special status. However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi outright rejected the demand, reinforcing his administration’s hardline stance on Kashmir.
January Showdown Between Pakistan and India
The tensions between Pakistan and India escalated dramatically in January this year when a heated diplomatic exchange took place after India’s Army Chief labeled Pakistan the “epicenter of terrorism.” Pakistan’s military forcefully countered these allegations, asserting that India’s own actions in occupied Kashmir and its support for militant groups operating in Pakistan were the real sources of regional instability.
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During the UNSC session on Monday, Fatemi reaffirmed Pakistan’s position, stating, “The Council has an obligation to uphold the right to self-determination for the Kashmiri people and promote a just and lasting settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute by implementing its own resolutions.” The Pakistan Mission to the UN released a statement emphasizing that the Kashmir issue remains on the UNSC agenda and awaits a resolution in accordance with international law.
Fatemi’s remarks were delivered at the high-level open debate on ‘Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Advancing Adaptability in UN Peace Operations – Responding to New Realities.’ In this context, he highlighted that peace operations were essential instruments for global security and emphasized that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has been monitoring the ceasefire between the two countries since 1949.
Pakistan’s Commitment to UN Peacekeeping
Fatemi also took the opportunity to highlight Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to UN peacekeeping missions. “Pakistan has deployed over 235,000 peacekeepers in 48 missions across the globe,” he stated. “181 Pakistani peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and today, over 3,267 Pakistani men and women proudly serve under the UN flag in seven missions worldwide.”
He outlined Pakistan’s vision for making UN peacekeeping more responsive to contemporary challenges, including:
- Stronger political commitment from the UNSC to prevent power vacuums from being exploited by negative actors.
- Clear and realistic mandates for peacekeeping missions.
- Prioritizing political solutions and ensuring that peacekeeping supports well-defined objectives.
- Adequate financial resources to meet growing operational demands.
- Modernized training, equipment, and resources to counter emerging threats.
- Well-planned transitions for mission withdrawals to ensure lasting stability.
- Incorporation of early peacebuilding initiatives.
- Meaningful consultations with troop-contributing countries to shape future UN peace operations.
Fatemi lamented that the UNSC had not approved any new peacekeeping operations in over a decade, despite the evident need for them in various conflict zones. He urged the Council not to shy away from utilizing this critical tool for maintaining peace.
Pakistan pushes UNSC for ‘just and lasting’ settlement of Kashmir dispute
Pakistan’s engagement with UN peacekeeping extends beyond deployment. Fatemi announced that Pakistan will host a UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Preparatory Meeting in Islamabad next month, with discussions feeding into the broader conversation about the future of UN peace operations.
India’s Claims on Kashmir Rejected
Meanwhile, Pakistan firmly rejected India’s repeated claims that Jammu and Kashmir is an “integral part” of India. Pakistani delegate Gul Qaiser Sarwani, speaking at the UNSC, countered India’s assertion, reminding the world that “every official UN map depicts Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory.” He pointedly responded to India’s UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish’s remarks, stating:
“No amount of obfuscation can change the legal, political, and historical reality – Jammu and Kashmir is not, and has never been, a so-called ‘integral’ part of India.”
Sarwani detailed India’s extensive militarization of Kashmir, where over 900,000 troops maintain what he described as “the densest military occupation in modern history.” Since 1989, more than 100,000 Kashmiris have lost their lives, and countless others have faced imprisonment, torture, and enforced disappearances.
On allegations of cross-border terrorism, Sarwani turned the argument back on India: “It is most ironic that India, which is committing the worst form of state terrorism in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, is portraying itself as the victim.” He went on to accuse India of orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion, and supporting terrorist groups such as Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) to destabilize Pakistan.
Global Appreciation for Fatemi’s Speech
Tariq Fatemi’s statement at the UNSC has been appreciated by millions of Kashmiris living across the globe, including in Washington, New York, London, Islamabad, Brussels, Paris, and Istanbul. His powerful speech has reignited hope among the Kashmiri diaspora, who view it as a renewed commitment from Pakistan to their cause.
Tariq Fatemi’s address at the UNSC was a defining moment in Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement on the Kashmir issue. His powerful and persuasive arguments left world leaders with little choice but to acknowledge the urgency of resolving the dispute. As the session concluded, the silence in the room spoke volumes—a reflection of the impact Fatemi’s words had on an audience that could no longer ignore the UNSC’s own commitments.
With tensions between Pakistan and India at an all-time high, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether the UN finally takes substantive action or continues to let the issue linger in bureaucratic inertia. One thing is certain: Pakistan will not relent in its pursuit of justice for Kashmir.
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