At UN, Pakistan&rsquo;s Envoy Urges Restraint over Kashmir, Skirts No-First-Use Pledge amid Regional Tensions
&nbsp;
Amid simmering tensions in South Asia, Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, sought to strike a measured tone on the contentious Kashmir issue, cautioning against nuclear escalation while carefully sidestepping Islamabad&rsquo;s first-use nuclear posture &mdash; a move that underscores the enduring fragility of India-Pakistan relations.
&ldquo;Kashmir is often termed a &lsquo;nuclear flashpoint&rsquo;, but I believe that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state. I assume that India also exhibits that same kind of responsibility, and we should not contemplate a situation that would move in that direction,&rdquo; Ahmad told journalists during a press conference at UN headquarters on Friday.
The comments come amid a backdrop of strategic unease in the region, particularly after a recent uptick in cross-border tensions and Pakistan&rsquo;s internal security challenges. India, which has consistently upheld its declared no-first-use nuclear policy, views Pakistan&rsquo;s ambiguity with apprehension, particularly given Islamabad&rsquo;s unwillingness to formally commit to such a doctrine.
Pressed repeatedly on Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear stance, Ambassador Ahmad avoided a direct answer, stating only, &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s policy on nuclear disarmament and all the related issues are in the public realm. It is very well known.&rdquo; His evasion reflects a long-standing feature of Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear strategy &mdash; the deliberate ambiguity that preserves Islamabad&rsquo;s option to use nuclear weapons first, a position it has never formally renounced.
Despite this ambiguity, Ahmad was keen to project an image of Pakistan as a mature international actor. &ldquo;Pakistan is a responsible member of the international community,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;How we are responding to this situation that has evolved is also reflective of a responsible member state.&rdquo;
From India&rsquo;s perspective, this rhetoric falls short of addressing New Delhi&rsquo;s core security concerns. While India continues to support bilateral engagement under the Simla Agreement framework, it has also reiterated that meaningful dialogue can only resume in an atmosphere free from cross-border terrorism &mdash; a concern frequently raised by Indian diplomats at the UN.
When queried on whether Pakistan&rsquo;s volatile western frontiers &mdash; particularly with Afghanistan and within insurgency-hit Balochistan &mdash; could strain its preparedness along the Line of Control (LoC) with India, Ahmad dismissed the notion. &ldquo;I don't believe that's going to have an impact in terms of our readiness and preparedness to counter anything that comes across the Line of Control in Kashmir,&rdquo; he asserted.
&ldquo;The western borders are under total control,&rdquo; he claimed, while acknowledging ongoing &ldquo;counterterrorism and law enforcement operations&rdquo; in the region. This assertion comes despite repeated clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces and Islamabad&rsquo;s own accusations against Kabul for allegedly sheltering the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has launched several deadly cross-border attacks in recent months.
On the question of possible aerial confrontations &mdash; referred to by one reporter as "dogfights" &mdash; Ahmad denied any such incidents. &ldquo;There were some reports about some podcopters or drones, you know, shot down or something,&rdquo; he said, dismissing the suggestion of full-fledged aerial combat. However, he did not entirely rule out military escalation. &ldquo;If the situation deteriorates and some kind of kinetic action comes into play, this kind of a scenario is very much possible,&rdquo; he noted grimly.
His remarks reflect the fine diplomatic line Pakistan treads at the UN &mdash; seeking to project responsibility while preserving strategic ambiguity. From New Delhi&rsquo;s vantage point, however, such ambiguity reinforces concerns about Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear posture, particularly when coupled with its continued silence on the no-first-use doctrine.
As the subcontinent continues to navigate an uneasy peace, Ahmad&rsquo;s comments &mdash; part caution, part deflection &mdash; are a sobering reminder of the deep-rooted mistrust that still defines the India-Pakistan equation at the global stage.
&nbsp;

Pakistan's Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad

At UN, Islamabad projects responsibility but avoids no-first-use nuclear commitment

Pakistan Urges Restraint, Skirts Nuke Pledge

At UN, Islamabad projects responsibility but avoids no-first-use nuclear commitment

May 3, 2025 | 10:52 IST