NEW YORK CITY: The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday debated Iran’s nuclear program amid rising tensions in the Middle East, with Pakistan telling the 15-member body that an enduring situation lies in embracing diplomacy rather than abandoning it “for short-sighted policies.”
“It is clear that dialogue, diplomacy and constructive engagement remain the only viable way forward. And yet, diplomacy has been forfeited in favour of military means,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations (UN), said during a discussions on the UN ‘Committee 1737’, which oversees international sanctions on Iran regarding its nuclear and missile programs.
“The developments since last June as well as the ongoing situation that started with the unprovoked and unwarranted attacks on Iran have deeply impacted the context of Iran nuclear file,” he said.
Regretting the breakdown of diplomacy on the Iranian nuclear issue, the Pakistani envoy said the validity of the fundamental principles and the multilateral spirit that led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, remained intact as also the consensus adoption of resolution 2231 in 2015. (But President Donald Trump, during his first term announced in 2018 the withdrawal of the United States (US) from JCPOA, terming it a “horrible,” “one-sided” deal that failed to protect US national security interests.)
“More than ever, and even during the current conflict and heightened tensions, it is clear that an enduring solution lies in embracing those time-tested principles rather than abandoning them for short-sighted policies,” Ambassador Asim Ahmad said.
The JCPOA, he said, was a “unique instrument “, manifestation of an approach based on dialogue, diplomacy and pragmatism, highlighting that it was the outcome of painstaking and arduous, yet constructive negotiations that charted a roadmap to comprehensively address the concerns of the parties based on reciprocal actions and thus embodying peaceful resolution of disputes that is at the heart the UN Charter. “Pakistan lent its support to the negotiated settlement of the issue, and it remains our core position till today”, he added.
“We have condemned all use of force, targeting of civilian infrastructure, and strikes on nuclear sites under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards”, the Pakistani envoy said, pointing out that strikes against nuclear facilities carried huge environmental and safety risks for the local population and people all around the region.
He warned against disrupting IAEA’s crucial verification mandate, saying that the agency is responsible for verifying compliance with respective nuclear safeguards obligations of Member States in an objective, impartial and credible manner on technical grounds.
“The IAEA should be enabled to fulfill this statutory function and its verification activities in Iran should resume unimpeded,” the Pakistani envoy said.
Pakistan, he said, calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Middle East, and urged all parties to show maximum restraint, avoid further escalation, institute a permanent ceasefire, and resume dialogue. “All our efforts aim in that direction”, he said.
