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Shashi Tharoor shares insider view of UNSC meet: ‘China will veto any resolution against Pakistan…’
Tharoor expressed "sad reality" that China, a permanent UNSC member, would veto any resolution against Pakistan.
Former UN diplomat and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said he does not expect “anything specific” from the closed-door United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting held in New York over India-Pakistan tensions.
Tharoor believes any resolution against Pakistan will be vetoed by China, a permanent member of the UN body, according to a news agency ANI report.
Calling it a “sad reality,” Shashi Tharoor said that the thing that may be achieved out of the meeting could be a statement urging for peace and raising concerns over terrorism.
However, Shashi Tharoor said that any resolution against India will also be objected to and vetoed by multiple countries.
"I am quite confident that the UNSC will not pass a resolution criticising Pakistan because China will veto it; they will not pass a resolution criticising us, as many countries will object to it and probably veto it," the Thiruvananthapuram MP told the news agency.
In response to further queries, Shashi Tharoor clarified that the details of the discussion remain largely undisclosed, as no official statement has been released so far.
Shashi Tharoor noted that only unofficial briefings have surfaced. “These were what we call closed-door consultations. I have been there many times. All we hear about these are unofficial background briefings by delegates inside the room, but the room itself is quite small," Congress MP added.
There are 15 members of the Council, their own teams, and the Secretariat. There is no media, no audience," Tharoor explained.
“They (Pakistan) are one of the 15 members; India is not in the room. In these circumstances, Pakistan would have thought that they have an advantage,” but Tharoor added that, based on those briefings, the meeting did not appear favorable for Pakistan, as member states posed tough questions regarding Lashkar-e-Taiba and terrorism.
It seemed that the international community acknowledged that India’s response to the Pahalgam attack was “understandably provoked,” the Congress leader said.
UNSC meeting on Indo-Pak tensions
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a closed-door meeting to discuss rising tensions between India and Pakistan. During the informal session, several Council members urged both countries to de-escalate the situation and encouraged Pakistan to resolve issues through direct talks with India, according to a report by news agency PTI.
Members of the 15-nation Council raised “tough questions” for Pakistan. Many criticized the recent terrorist attack and highlighted the need to hold those responsible accountable, diplomatic sources told the agency.
UNSC members reject “false flag” narrative
Council members also rejected the idea of the attack being a “false flag” operation — a claim suggesting India staged the attack to blame Pakistan. Instead, they questioned whether the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba could have been involved.
Some diplomats specifically condemned attacks targeting tourists based on religion. “There was broad condemnation of the terrorist attack and recognition of the need for accountability,” one source said.
Sources said that Pakistan’s attempt to bring global attention to the issue “failed.” Many Council members voiced concern over Pakistan’s recent missile tests and nuclear-related statements, calling them actions that could make the situation worse.
The hour-and-a-half meeting was held not in the main UNSC Chamber but in a smaller consultation room next door.
