New York – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the most powerful arm of the global organization condemned “the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir” in India and acknowledged that, “Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has claimed responsibility,” for the Pulwama lethal terrorist attack. In a strongly worded statement, the UNSC underscored the need to hold perpetrators of these “reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.”
The UNSC members – which includes five veto-wielding permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US – urged all States, “to cooperate actively with the Government of India and all other relevant authorities in this regard.” There was unanimous reaffirmation of “the need for all States to combat by all means … threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.”
Issuing the statement, Council President Anatolio Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea) said: “The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in over 40 Indian paramilitary forces dead and dozens wounded on 14 February 2019, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility.”
In the statement, the members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Indian people and the Government of India, and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured in the Pulwama lethal terrorist attack. Summing it all up, the members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.
China Changes Stand
The significance of the delayed statement was in the fact that China, one of the veto-powered permanent member of the UNSC has over the years, repeatedly blocked India’s bids in the Security Council Sanctions Committee to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar as a “global terrorist.”
Commenting on the delay, India’s permanent representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted: “A statement with many firsts takes more time than expected. In complex diplomatic situations, however, it is better to be late than never.”
Moreover, on the fact that JeM is based in Pakistan, Akbaruddin in another tweet refreshed memories of all referring to a 2001 UN document where its listed as “Jaish-I-Mohammed(A.K.A. Army of Mohammed), Pakistan.”
Earlier in the week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on India and Pakistan to take steps to defuse tensions in the wake an attack in Kashmir late last week that left dozens of Indian security forces dead. “The Secretary-General has been following with great concern the situation in South Asia,” UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement on the Pulwama lethal terrorist attack.
Tejinder Singh, Editor, India America Today & White House Correspondent