United Nations, May 6, 2025 – In a high-stakes closed-door meeting convened at Pakistan’s request, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) confronted Islamabad with pointed questions about its alleged involvement in the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025. The council, comprising five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and ten non-permanent members, including Pakistan, rejected Pakistan’s attempt to frame the attack as a “false flag” operation orchestrated by India, sources revealed.
Background of the Pahalgam Attack
The Pahalgam terror attack, one of the deadliest in the Kashmir Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, occurred in the scenic Baisaran Valley, often dubbed “Mini Switzerland.” On April 22, heavily armed terrorists, later linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its local offshoot, The Resistance Front (TRF), descended on the tourist hotspot, killing 26 civilians, including a Nepali national, and injuring several others. The attack sparked outrage in India, prompting New Delhi to implement a series of punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari-Wagah border, downgrading diplomatic ties, and banning Pakistani ships and flights from Indian ports and airspace.
India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, conducted closed-door briefings with most UNSC members—excluding China and Pakistan—in the weeks following the attack, presenting evidence of Pakistan’s support for terrorist networks. Indian intelligence reports and digital footprints traced to Karachi further implicated Pakistan, with sources identifying Hashim Musa, an LeT operative and former member of Pakistan’s Special Service Group, as a key figure in the attack.
UNSC Meeting: Pakistan’s Narrative Under Scrutiny
Pakistan, a non-permanent UNSC member, requested the emergency meeting on May 5, 2025, to discuss the escalating tensions with India, which it described as a result of “India’s aggressive actions and provocations.” Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, aimed to shift blame onto India, alleging that the Pahalgam attack was a false flag operation to justify New Delhi’s retaliatory measures. However, the UNSC members, informed by India’s prior briefings and global intelligence, were unconvinced.
According to sources, the council’s 90-minute consultation on Monday afternoon saw intense questioning of Pakistan’s claims. Members directly asked whether LeT, a UN-designated terrorist organization, was involved in the Pahalgam attack. The council also raised concerns about Pakistan’s failure to act against terror groups operating from its soil, referencing the UNSC’s April 23 statement condemning the attack and calling for accountability for its “perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors.”
The meeting, presided over by Greece’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris, was described as “productive” but yielded no formal resolution or statement, in line with the closed-door format. Sekeris, who had previously condemned the attack as a “heinous” act of terrorism, reiterated the UNSC’s stance against terrorism in all forms while expressing concern over the mounting tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Pakistan’s Response and International Reactions
Following the meeting, Ambassador Ahmad delivered a nine-minute statement at the UNSC stakeout, accusing India of aggression and sidestepping questions about LeT’s involvement. He claimed the meeting achieved Pakistan’s objective of highlighting India’s actions, but sources indicated that his remarks were largely dismissed as anti-India propaganda. Posts on X reflected similar skepticism, with users pointing to Pakistan’s history of shielding LeT and TRF, noting Islamabad’s success in removing references to TRF from the UNSC’s initial condemnation of the attack.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who condemned the Pahalgam attack as an “awful” act, reiterated his call for “maximum restraint” on May 5, warning that India-Pakistan relations were at a “boiling point.” Guterres, in a conversation with Jaishankar, emphasized the need for justice through lawful means and urged both nations to de-escalate. Russian diplomats, emerging from the meeting, echoed this sentiment, expressing hope for de-escalation, while Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, strongly condemned the attack.
India, meanwhile, intensified its diplomatic offensive. Prime Minister Modi met with defense officials, including Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, to strategize responses to Pakistan’s actions. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during the Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting in Milan, demanded that the bank cut funding to Pakistan, citing its role in cross-border terrorism. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, visited Pakistan on May 5 to mediate, but India’s focus remained on exposing Pakistan’s terror links.
Escalating Tensions and Regional Implications
The Pahalgam attack has plunged India-Pakistan relations to a new low, with both nations closing their airspace and trade routes to each other. Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, warned of a potential Indian military strike along the Line of Control, while Pakistan’s ambassador to Russia threatened a “full spectrum” response, including nuclear options, if its water supply or security were disrupted. India, in turn, has vowed to hunt down the attackers and their backers, with Modi assuring justice for the victims.
The UNSC meeting underscored the international community’s growing frustration with Pakistan’s reluctance to curb terrorism. While China, a close ally of Pakistan, remained silent during the discussions, other permanent members, including the US, UK, and France, reportedly pressed Islamabad for answers. The lack of a formal UNSC statement reflects the complexity of the issue, with veto-wielding powers like China potentially blocking stronger action against Pakistan.
As tensions simmer, the international community watches closely. The UNSC’s rejection of Pakistan’s false flag narrative strengthens India’s position, but the absence of concrete measures against Pakistan highlights the challenges of addressing state-sponsored terrorism through multilateral forums. Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have launched a manhunt for the attackers, with a bounty offered for Hashim Musa’s capture. Meanwhile, India’s mock drills scheduled for May 7 signal heightened preparedness for potential escalation.
The Pahalgam attack has not only exposed the fragility of India-Pakistan relations but also tested the UNSC’s ability to address terrorism decisively. For now, the world awaits whether diplomatic efforts, led by figures like Guterres and regional mediators, can prevent a slide toward broader conflict in South Asia.
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