'Sad reality': Shashi Tharoor after UNSC meeting on India-Pakistan tensions

Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, a former diplomat who has served at the United Nations, has pointed out the "sad reality" of Security Council consultations after its members met on Monday night to discuss the India-Pakistan tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack.

The closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council was convened at Pakistan’s request. However, sources indicated that council members asked tough questions of Islamabad regarding its involvement with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the false flag narrative, the targeting of tourists on religious grounds, and nuclear rhetoric.

Drawing on his familiarity with UNSC operations, Tharoor stated that the Security Council is unlikely to pass any resolution against either India or Pakistan. He said, “I am quite confident that the Council will not pass a resolution criticizing Pakistan because China will veto it, and they will not pass a resolution criticizing us as many countries will object to it and probably veto it. It will likely be more of a call for peace and concerns about terror expressed in general terms."

He further mentioned that he does not expect any specific decision from the Council, adding, “That is the sad reality of how these things function."

The meeting took place after Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation Security Council, requested “closed consultations" regarding the escalation of the Pahalgam terror attack.

According to sources, Council members questioned Islamabad about its links to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack. Tharoor noted, “In these circumstances, Pakistan might have thought they had an advantage, but the impression we are getting is that several delegations asked very tough questions, particularly regarding Lashkar-e-Taiba and its initial claim of responsibility."

He added that, based on the briefings, it appeared that member countries understood the concerns about terrorism and LeT, which “understandably provoked" an Indian reaction following the Pahalgam attack.

This development follows the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people — 25 tourists and one local resident.

As of now, no official statement has been issued by either the Security Council or India regarding the closed-door discussions.