UNSC rejects Pakistan's ‘false flag’ narrative, bid to internationlise

New Delhi: In a closed-door informal session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held on Monday, members sharply criticised Pakistan over its handling of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, while dismissing its attempts to label the incident as a "false flag" operation, reported ANI. 

The session, which focused on the escalating tensions in the region, also saw broad condemnation of the attack that claimed 26 civilian lives, including Hindu tourists, a Christian tourist, and a local Muslim, on April 22, 2025. 

The UNSC urged Pakistan to seek a bilateral resolution with India, reinforcing the framework established by the 1972 Simla Agreement.

According to sources familiar with the session, UNSC members raised pointed questions about the potential involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based terrorist group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations and several countries. 

The Resistance Front (TRF), widely believed to be an offshoot of LeT, claimed responsibility for the attack, citing opposition to Indian government policies allowing non-locals to settle in Kashmir. 

The attack, which took place in the scenic Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, marked the deadliest assault on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also linked to LeT.

The UNSC session highlighted growing international concern over the targeting of tourists based on their religious faith, with several members condemning the attack as a grave violation of human rights. 

"The deliberate targeting of civilians, particularly tourists, on the basis of their religious identity is an egregious act of terrorism that demands accountability," a source quoted one member as saying. 

The session also addressed broader regional stability, with many members expressing alarm over Pakistan's recent missile tests and nuclear rhetoric, which were described as "escalatory factors" amid already heightened tensions.

Pakistan's attempt to internationalise the Kashmir issue was met with resistance, as the UNSC reiterated that the matter should be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan. 

This stance aligns with the Simla Agreement, a 1972 treaty signed by then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, which mandates peaceful bilateral negotiations to settle disputes, including those concerning Jammu and Kashmir. 

The agreement has been a cornerstone of India’s position that third-party intervention, including by the United Nations, is unnecessary.

On April 24, 2025, Pakistan suspended the Simla Agreement in retaliation for India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, citing alleged Pakistani involvement in the attack. 

Additionally, Pakistan’s Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi recently warned that the country’s nuclear arsenal of over 130 missiles was "not kept as models" and was aimed solely at India, prompting India to conduct its own missile tests on April 28, 2025, to demonstrate its "long-range, precision offensive" capabilities.

LeT, founded in the mid-1980s with the stated goal of merging Kashmir with Pakistan, has long been a source of contention in the region. The group, which has been linked to numerous attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is believed to have operated with varying degrees of support from Pakistani intelligence, though the extent of current ties remains unclear. 

The emergence of TRF in 2019 has added another layer of complexity, with the Indian government accusing the group of planning attacks, recruiting terrorists, and facilitating cross-border infiltration.

Pakistan-based terrorists have launched several attacks against India, including the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack, both of which led to retaliatory strikes by India. 

In the weeks leading up to the Pahalgam attack, India secured the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a former Pakistan Army officer convicted in the U.S. for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, signaling its intent to pursue justice for past acts of terrorism.