ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) has said the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) inaction over a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is setting a “dangerous precedent,” the Pakistani mission said on Friday, questioning Israel’s violation of the UN charter, international law and a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
The statement came during an open briefing at the UNSC on the situation in Palestinian territories, which was convened by Algeria with the support of Pakistan, China, Somalia and Russia.
Pakistan’s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the UNSC’s failure to implement its resolutions not only undermines the institution, but also erodes the international order built on the UN Charter.
“What is happening before our eyes is a travesty. It is unacceptable. The council must act. We cannot be part of a body that remains a mere spectator and does nothing,” he said.
“We refuse to be part of this moral bankruptcy, and what our Slovenian colleague referred to as ‘erosion of humanity’.”
The statement came as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including 27 or more sheltering at a school, according to Palestinian medical authorities, in a stepped-up offensive that Israel’s military said is intended to pressure Hamas. More than 30 other Gaza residents were killed in strikes on homes in the nearby neighborhood of Shijaiyah.
The first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into force on January 19 after 15 months of war, which began after Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel said on March 19 that its forces resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip. It also announced a major expansion of military operations in Gaza on Wednesday, asking residents to evacuate targeted areas. UN humanitarian office said around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas last month.
The fresh evacuation orders came a day after senior government officials said Israel would seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor across it. To pressure Hamas, Israel has imposed a monthlong blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle — a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime.
Ambassador Ahmad lamented that Gaza has descended into an “abyss of suffering,” which is manifested from the way unarmed civilians including children, women, humanitarian workers, UN personnel and journalists as well as civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and schools are being attacked indiscriminately.
“Nothing is spared, not even the historic cultural sites. It is total annihilation, a situation where fundamental principles of humanitarian law are being disregarded with impunity,” he said.
Since breaking the ceasefire last month, the Pakistan UN envoy said, Israel has killed over 1,100 Palestinians, adding to the more than 50,000 killed between October 2023 and January 2025.
“This is not just warfare, it is the systematic destruction of a people,” he said.
He drew the council’s attention to Israel’s blockade of all border crossings, barring humanitarian aid with no food or medical supplies being allowed into Gaza.
“Starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime,” he lamented.
The Pakistani envoy strongly condemned the deliberate targeting of aid convoys, including the killing of 15 humanitarian workers on March 23, saying that more than 400 humanitarian workers, including 284 UNRWA personnel, have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza.
“When UN staff and humanitarian workers are gunned down with impunity, we must ask: what remains of the global order we built from the ashes of World War II? ”
Ambassador Ahmad also said that Israel’s intent to permanently colonize and annex the occupied West Bank is alarming and unacceptable.
“Equally concerning are Israel’s plans to seize territory in Gaza, including the establishment of a so-called ‘security corridor’,” he said. “This would constitute a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law.”
Ambassador Ahmad called upon the UNSC and the international community to go beyond “rhetorical condemnations” to concrete action, including immediate halt to hostilities and full implementation of the January 19 ceasefire in Gaza, lifting of Israel’s blockade to ensure unrestricted humanitarian aid, preventing forced removal of Palestinians or annexation of their land, and reviving a “credible peace process.”
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and pre-1967 borders. The South Asian country has consistently called for a cessation of Israeli military campaign in Gaza and dispatched more than two dozen aid consignments for the Palestinian people since Israel began pounding Gaza in Oct. 2023.
Pakistan says UNSC inaction over Gaza humanitarian crisis setting ‘dangerous precedent’
https://arab.news/pvvmc
Pakistan says UNSC inaction over Gaza humanitarian crisis setting ‘dangerous precedent’
- The statement came as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday
- Envoy says Pakistan refuses to be part of ‘this moral bankruptcy,’ demands immediate ceasefire in Gaza
Pakistan consumer confidence rises by 4 percentage points in two years, survey shows
- Four in 10 Pakistanis believed the country is on the right track, with optimism higher among men
- Economic concerns remained most worrying, but their quantum fell drastically across all issues
ISLAMABAD: Consumer confidence in Pakistan has risen by 4 percentage points from 31.5 to 35.5 over the last two years, which highlights improving public optimism under the government’s tenure, Ipsos market research firm said in a recent survey.
The survey was conducted through computer-assisted telephonic interviews (CATI) and included more than a thousand participants from all provinces and Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan regions on Feb. 2-14.
It comes at a time when Pakistan has undergone a difficult period of stabilization, though international rating agencies have acknowledged improvements after Islamabad began implementing structural reforms as part of its $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
The Ipsos survey revealed a “measurable” improvement in Pakistan’s economic sentiment, marked by a decline in inflation alongside notable reductions in poverty and unemployment, since the current government took charge two years ago.
“These findings point to a clear two-year transformation in the Consumer Confidence Index, demonstrating the perceived impact of consistent governance and policy measures,” read the key takeout in the survey.
“Sustained performance, coupled with transparent communication of achievements, will be essential to maintain momentum, reinforce optimism, and support further improvements in economic confidence.”
Four in 10 Pakistanis believed the country is on the right track, with optimism higher among men, while confidence in the country’s direction being right increased more than three times, from 12 percent to 40 percent, since the government came to power, according to the survey.
Economic concerns remained most worrying, but their quantum fell drastically across all issues since the first quarter of 2024. Inflation has dropped by 23 percent, unemployment by 10 percent, poverty by 20 percent, electricity prices by 34 percent and the burden of additional taxes was reduced by 18 percent in Q1 2026 as compared to Q1 2024.
“One in 3 Pakistanis expect the economy to strengthen,” the survey read. “Confidence to invest has grown steadily over two years, rising from 11 percent to 16 percent, with even stronger optimism among urban residents.”
