Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad leaves New York this week to take up his new responsibilities as Pakistan’s foreign secretary, ending his two-year assignment as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN).
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Ahmad → leave → Nations
He arrived in New York in October 2024 for his third assignment at the United Nations, as Pakistan prepared to begin a two-year elected term on the UN Security Council (UNSC).
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Pakistan → arrive → Council
It was his third consecutive term as part of Pakistan’s UNSC teams, following assignments in 2003-04 and 2012-13.
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It → follow → 2003
“It is such a great and singular honour to have the opportunity to represent Pakistan at the UN, including at the Security Council,” Ahmad said in an interview with Dawn.
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Ahmad → have → Dawn
His tenure unfolded amid an extraordinary succession of crises: last year’s brief military confrontation between India and Pakistan, the continuing catastrophe in Gaza, the war between Israel and Iran and growing divisions within the international system.
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tenure → unfold → system
Pakistan brought “a lot of expertise and institutional experience” to its eighth term on the UNSC, Ahmad said.
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Ahmad → bring → UNSC
Its priorities were focused on international peace and security, including conflict prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes, peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and cooperation with regional organisations, he added.
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he → focus → organisations
Within months of his arrival, relations between Pakistan and India deteriorated sharply, leading to a four-day military confrontation in May 2025 that brought the two nuclear-armed neighbours dangerously close to a wider conflict.
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that → deteriorate → conflict
The UN repeatedly urged both sides to step back from the brink and offered its good offices to help de-escalate the crisis.
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UN → urge → crisis
Ahmad kept UNSC members and other UN delegations informed of Pakistan’s position and the dangers of further escalation.
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Ahmad → keep → escalation
Pakistan and India agreed to a ceasefire on May 10.
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Pakistan → agree → May
For Ahmad, the confrontation was particularly significant because Pakistan itself was serving on the UNSC.
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Pakistan → serve → UNSC
In assessing Pakistan’s subsequent emphasis on peaceful settlement, he pointed to the May 2025 conflict, saying Pakistan had initiated and steered a UNSC resolution after “having inflicted a crushing defeat to the Indian aggression in May 2025.”
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Pakistan → assess → May
One of the principal results he cited was UNSC Resolution 2788, adopted unanimously during Pakistan’s presidency in July 2025.
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he → cite → July
The Pakistan-sponsored resolution called for greater use of the mechanisms provided by the UN Charter for the peaceful settlement of disputes.
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resolution → sponsor → disputes
Ahmad described it as a landmark resolution, saying it had been “the most widely referred UNSC decision” since its adoption, something he said testified to its importance and relevance to the council’s work.
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he → describe → work
Despite the geopolitical tensions reflected in a polarised council, he said, Pakistan had been able to forge consensus around the resolution.
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Pakistan → reflect → resolution
He also used his assessment of Pakistan’s tenure to argue for reform of the UNSC.
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He → use → UNSC
Ahmad said developments in the international peace and security landscape, together with growing criticism of the role of the permanent members, had reinforced the belief of a wide majority of UN member states that the council needed to become “more democratic, representative and accountable”.
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council → say → states
Adding new individual permanent members, he argued, would only aggravate the problem.
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he → add → problem
“In simple words, the problem cannot be the solution,” he said.
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he → say → words
Pakistan, he added, had worked with its partners in the Uniting for Consensus group and other like-minded countries for a reformed council with more elected seats, including medium-term seats based on periodic elections and rotation.
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he → add → elections
Such an arrangement, he said, would allow for representation and accountability corresponding to the realities of today’s world.
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he → say → world
“Pakistan and many other countries are eminently qualified to bring their contribution to the UNSC and the maintenance of international peace and security,” Ahmad said.
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Ahmad → bring → peace
“Member states should be ready to fulfil that responsibility without permanence and privilege,” he said.
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he → fulfil → permanence
Gaza became another defining issue of his tenure.
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Gaza → become → tenure
Pakistan repeatedly raised the Palestinian question at the UNSC and the General Assembly, calling for an end to the killing and humanitarian suffering and adherence to international law.
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Pakistan → raise → law
Ahmad described Pakistan as a “forceful voice” on Palestine.
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Ahmad → describe → Palestine
He pointed to Pakistan’s support for the Comprehensive Plan on Gaza and Security Council Resolution 2803, which he said brought about a ceasefire, opened humanitarian space in Gaza and, importantly, restored a political horizon for Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
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he → point → determination
The Israel-Iran war in June 2025 and subsequent direct US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities presented Pakistan with another delicate diplomatic challenge.
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war → present → challenge
Iran is Pakistan’s neighbour, and Ahmad said Pakistan played an important role in mediating between the United States and Iran, bringing about a ceasefire in April, the Islamabad talks and the process that led to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in June 2026.
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that → say → June
“Our leadership remains closely engaged with all sides and other friends and partners to advance the prospects of peace,” he said.
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he → engage → peace
The episode illustrated another aspect of Pakistan’s diplomacy during Ahmad’s tenure: efforts to create space for dialogue beyond formal UN forums.
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episode → illustrate → forums
Pakistan also used its UNSC membership to focus on the safety of UN peacekeepers.
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Pakistan → use → peacekeepers
Together with Denmark, it led Resolution 2823 in June 2026 on accountability for attacks against UN peacekeepers.
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it → lead → peacekeepers
The resolution was adopted unanimously and attracted 153 co-sponsors from across the UN membership — a record number for a UNSC resolution on the issue, according to Ahmad.
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resolution → adopt → Ahmad
Kashmir remained another longstanding issue on Pakistan’s diplomatic agenda.
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Kashmir → remain → agenda
Several Arria Formula meetings organised by Pakistan brought the Jammu and Kashmir dispute before the council.
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meetings → organise → council
Ahmad said the meetings brought into focus the unresolved dispute and “the imperative of its peaceful settlement in accordance with international legitimacy and relevant UNSC resolutions.”
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meetings → say → legitimacy
Beyond the major conflicts, Pakistan maintained an active profile across the wider UN agenda, including UN80, development, climate change and emerging technologies.
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Pakistan → maintain → UN80
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
