UN Security Council Delivers Strong Response Following Pahalgam Terror Attack.
The 15-member Council released an official press statement, strongly condemning the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. It expressed profound concern, offered solidarity with the victims, and highlighted the necessity for accountability to tackle the significant threat to regional peace and stability.
United Nations: The United nations Security Council has “strongly condemned” the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing that those behind the attack must be held accountable and that the planners and sponsors of this “heinous act of terrorism” should face justice.
The 15-member Council released a press statement regarding the ‘terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir,’ in which it “strongly condemned” the April 22 incident that left at least 26 people dead and many others injured.
“The members of the Security Council emphasized the importance of holding the perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of this reprehensible terrorist act accountable and ensuring they face justice,” the press statement declared.
“They underscored that those responsible for the killings must be brought to justice and called on all States to actively cooperate with the relevant authorities, in line with their international law obligations and applicable Security Council resolutions,” it added.
A press statement is an official declaration to the media made by the President of the Security Council on behalf of all 15 members.
France, holding the Council presidency for April, issued the statement through its Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont.
It is understood that the United States circulated the initial draft of the statement, which was subsequently reviewed and discussed among Security Council members.
Pakistan, currently serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, participated in the process. Press statements from the Council require consensus from all 15 members and are carefully negotiated.
In the statement, Security Council members extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the governments of India and Nepal, and wished a swift and full recovery to those injured. The April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali national, most of whom were tourists from various parts of India.
The Council members reaffirmed that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, remains one of the gravest threats to global peace and security. They reiterated that acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of motive, location, timing, or perpetrator.
They also stressed the responsibility of all States to combat terrorist threats by all appropriate means, in accordance with the UN Charter and their obligations under international law, including human rights, refugee, and humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, addressed the situation during Friday’s daily press briefing. Responding to a question about India-Pakistan tensions, he said, “We continue to follow the situation with very deep concern.”
He reiterated the UN’s condemnation of the Jammu and Kashmir attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, and urged both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to prevent further escalation.
When asked if the Secretary-General—currently in Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral—plans to speak with the leaders of India and Pakistan upon his return to New York, Dujarric replied, “I hope to have something to share with you” soon.
Responding to a suggestion that the potential for conflict between two nuclear-armed nations was receiving insufficient attention, Dujarric firmly disagreed: “Let me just say, I don’t agree with your comment… we are paying very close attention to the situation between India and Pakistan.”
