Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaks during a United Nations Security Council Photo: AFP
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Security Council, on Tuesday condemned the deadly attack at a religious gathering in Sydney, saying that Pakistan stood in solidarity with Australia and unequivocally rejected terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Two gunmen opened fire at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing 11 people and wounding multiple others in a “terrorist incident” aimed at a gathering for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah in Australia.
The envoy also emphasised Pakistan’s strong support for the Gaza ceasefire framework, outlining the principles of its implementation according to international law.
Addressing the Council, the envoy also reiterated Pakistan’s strong support for the Gaza ceasefire framework, acknowledging the facilitation efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. He said these diplomatic efforts culminated in the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2803, which Pakistan supported alongside a group of eight Arab and Islamic countries.
UN Security Council Resolution 2803 calls for full compliance with the Gaza ceasefire plan and renewed political efforts toward a two-state solution.
Israel and Hamas signed the ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal on October 10, 2025, the first phase of a US-brokered peace plan aimed at ending two years of devastating war in Gaza that has claimed more than 67,000 Palestinian lives and reshaped Middle East politics.
The agreement, mediated by the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye, commits both sides to halt hostilities, facilitate the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and allow large-scale humanitarian aid into Gaza.
With the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories remaining dire despite the October 10 Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Pakistan has called for steps to ensure adherence to the truce agreement to stop the bloodshed, ensure humanitarian relief and pave the way for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Read: Pakistan calls for compliance with Gaza ceasefire plan
Referring to the UN Secretary-General’s latest report on Resolution 2334, Pakistan warned that Israeli settlement activity had reached alarming levels. Israeli authorities advanced more than 6,300 housing units in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with significant activity in Area C and sensitive zones such as E1. The envoy said that the settlement expansion in 2025 was at its highest level since the UN began systematic monitoring.
“These actions, as reinforced by the July 2024 ICJ advisory opinion and identified in Resolution 2334, have no legal validity and violate international law, as they entrench the occupation and undermine the viability of the two-state solution”, said Ahmad.
Calling for concrete steps forward, the representative urged the full and good-faith implementation of Resolution 2803: an immediate halt to settlement activity in line with the resolution, respecting the ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, unhindered humanitarian access, and beginning reconstruction without annexation or forced displacement.
He also brought attention to accountability and called for a time-bound political process leading to an independent Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Read More: Pakistan calls for resolving disputes
He concluded his statement, “Pakistan’s solidarity with the Palestinian people remains unwavering. We stand firmly with them in their legitimate struggle for dignity, justice and self-determination, and for the realisation of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy.”
WSIS+20 UNGA Meeting
Separately, addressing a high-level UN General Assembly meeting marking 20 years of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), Pakistan highlighted the growing global digital divide, warning that disparities now extend beyond connectivity to data, capacity and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Aligning itself with the Group of 77 and China, Pakistan called for greater investment, skills development and technology transfer to developing countries, and urged inclusive governance of data and AI.
The envoy highlighted Pakistan’s decisive steps toward digital transformation through the adoption of the Digital Nation Pakistan Act and the National AI Policy, aimed at expanding connectivity, strengthening digital public infrastructure and advancing e-governance.
The Digital Nation Pakistan Act is a law establishing the framework for nationwide digital governance, services, and public infrastructure. The National AI Policy is a roadmap guiding the safe, ethical, and inclusive development and use of artificial intelligence in Pakistan.
