UN Security Council to Meet Over Escalating India-Pakistan Tensions

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will meet today to discuss the growing tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror strike in Pahalgam. The attack that killed 26 civilians further soured the relations between the two nuclear-powered neighbours.

The session is a follow-up to Pakistan announcing that it will report to the Security Council regarding what it said was India's "aggressive behavior, provocation, and inflammatory rhetoric." Pakistan also said India had unlawfully suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and will point out the way such conduct is threatening regional peace and security.

The current session of the UN provides both countries with an opportunity to put their points across to the global community. Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, the Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN and the current President of the Security Council, had previously said that the Council "condemns terrorism in all forms" but also expressed concern regarding the increasing instability in the region.

In reaction to the Pahalgam attack, the UNSC made a strong condemnation and stressed bringing to justice the masterminds, organizers, and sponsors of the attack. India, in its turn, carried out a string of retaliatory actions against Pakistan, such as expelling Pakistani military attachés, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, and immediately closing down the Attari land-transit point.

In a tit-for-tat action, Pakistan shut down its airspace for Indian airlines and suspended all trade with New Delhi, even indirect trade through third-party nations. Islamabad also rejected India's unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that any move to stop water flow under the treaty would be taken as an "act of war."

As tensions escalate, today’s Security Council meeting could prove pivotal in shaping international diplomatic responses to the deepening crisis in South Asia.