Pakistan’s attempt to internationalise the Pahalgam attack issue in a bid to avoid India’s retaliatory actions by approaching the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seem to have backfired after members of the council refused to buy Islamabad’s “false flag operation” narrative and asked “tough questions” to the South Asian nation on terrorism.
The 15-nation UN Security Council held a closed-door session in New York on Monday on Pakistan’s request. During the session, Pakistan tried to peddle the narrative that the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam was a “false flag operation” by India.
However, the members refused to accept the narrative and asked whether the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based proscribed terrorist organisation, was involved in the attack.
While the UNSC didn’t issue any official statement on the closed-door meeting, sources said that the members condemned the terrorist attack, recognising the need for accountability. Some of the members also raised how the tourists were targeted based on their religion.
The recent launch of ballistic missiles by Pakistan and repeated warnings of nuclear attack by its leaders were also condemned by several members. They said that these were escalatory factors.
As part of the so-called “Exercise INDUS”, Pakistan has test-fired two ballistic missiles – a 450-km range Abdali Missile System and a 120-km range Fatah – over the last 72 hours.
While India has not officially commented on the missile tests, sources have said that New Delhi perceived them as a “reckless act of provocation”.
Tensions have soared between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. India squarely blamed Pakistan for the attack after security forces revealed that two of the attackers were Pakistan nationals, including a former Pak Army commando.
After the attack, India vowed to punish the attackers, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving “complete operational freedom” to the armed forces to respond to the attack.