ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will work for peace in the Middle East and Africa, and promote the right of self-determination of people living under foreign occupation if it gets elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN said on Sunday.
Elections for five of the 10 non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for 2025-26 are set to take place on June 6. Pakistan says its candidacy has the endorsement of the 55-member Asian Group.
The South Asian country has been elected to the Security Council seven times, most recently in 2013. Other times Pakistan got elected was in 1952-1953, 1968-1969, 1976-1977, 1983-1984, 1993-1994 and 2003-2004.
Speaking to members of the US-based Pakistan Students Association Coalition (PSA Coalition) via video link, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Munir Akram said election to the Security Council would require Islamabad to play a leading role in addressing Kashmir, Afghanistan and counterterrorism issues.
“Pakistan will articulate developing countries’ aspirations, work for peace and in the Middle East and Africa as well as promote the right of self-determination for peoples under foreign occupation if elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council,” Akram said, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Akram spoke about the current state of the world. including key global challenges amid regional conflicts.
“He said that as the intense competition between major powers became a new reality of the world order, the world was undergoing a fast transition from its unipolar status to a bipolar plus order,” the APP said.
The Pakistani ambassador’s comments came as Israel continues its relentless military assault on Gaza. Israel’s attacks against Hamas have killed at least 35,386 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
The Jewish state’s siege has brought dire food shortages and the threat of famine to the densely populated territory.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, has consistently called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and urged world powers to work toward a two-state solution in the restive region, according to the aspirations of the people of Palestine.
Pakistan says will push for peace in Middle East if elected non-permanent UNSC member
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Pakistan says will push for peace in Middle East if elected non-permanent UNSC member
- Elections for five of 10 non-permanent seats of UNSC for 2025-26 to take place on June 6
- Pakistan has been elected as non-permanent UNSC member seven times, most recently in 2013
Police lodge case over Karachi mall blaze under mischief, negligence and murder clauses
- The fire broke out at the densely packed Gul Plaza in the heart of Karachi on Jan. 17 and has so far claimed 71 lives
- Traders have estimated losses at $53.6 million, while the government has announced $35,720 for family of each victim
ISLAMABAD: Police in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi have registered a case over a deadly blaze at Gul Plaza, which has so far claimed 71 lives, under mischief, negligence and murder clauses, a senior police official said on Saturday.
The fire broke out at the densely packed commercial complex in the heart of Karachi on Jan. 17, trapping workers and shoppers inside. It burnt for over 24 hours before being brought under control, leaving the building structurally unsafe.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire. Police said preliminary indications pointed to a possible electrical short circuit, though officials stress conclusions will only be drawn after investigations are completed.
A week after the incident, police have registered the first information report (FIR) of the incident under sections 427, 436, 337-H (i) and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code, according to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Karachi South Asad Raza.
“The FIR of the Gul Plaza tragedy has been registered under the government’s prosecution, with case number 08/2026 at Nabi Bux police station,” Raza told Arab News.
Section 427 relates to mischief causing damage, 436 concerns mischief by fire or explosive substance, 337-H (i) details punishment for rash or negligent act, and 322 details punishment for homicide.
Deadly fires are a recurring problem in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, where overcrowded markets, aging infrastructure, illegal construction and weak enforcement of safety regulations frequently contribute to disasters. Officials say a blaze of this scale is rare.
Identification has been significantly slowed by the condition of the remains recovered from the site, Syed said, noting that many bodies were found in fragments, complicating DNA analysis and prolonging the process for families waiting for confirmation.
Traders have estimated total losses from the fire at up to Rs15 billion ($53.6 million). The Sindh provincial government this week announced compensation of Rs10 million ($35,720) for the family of each person killed in the blaze and said affected shopkeepers would also receive financial assistance.
Separately on Saturday, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) party urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to constitute an inquiry commission to hold those accountable whose negligence led to the Gul Plaza inferno.
“Incapability, mistake, apathy, shamelessness, impudence — these should be exposed,” MQM-P’s Farooq Sattar said, calling for an “independent judicial inquiry” into the Gul Plaza tragedy to ensure the truth comes to light.
LAHORE HOTEL FIRE
Meanwhile, a fire erupted at a hotel in the eastern city of Lahore in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, according to Rescue 1122 service.
Six people were injured due to the blaze at the hotel in the city’s Gulberg area who were shifted to hospital.
“All necessary steps be taken to quickly control the fire, instructions,” Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Aijaz directed authorities. “Immediate evacuation of all people from the building be ensured.”
