DPM Dar arrives in New York to attend high-level UNSC debate

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in New York to attend a high-level United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debate, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday. In a post on the social media platform X, the FO said that Dar will attend the debate, which was being convened under China’s presidency of the UNSC. “He will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts, as well as senior UN officials,” it said. It said that upon arrival, Dar was received by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad and Consul General of Pakistan in New York Aamer Ahmad Atozai. The FO had earlier stated that Dar was also scheduled to attend a meeting of the Group of Friends on Global Governance during his visit from May 26-28. Chinese officials have said the debate on “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-Centred International System” aims to reinforce the relevance of the UN Charter, strengthen the authority of the UNSC, and promote multilateral diplomacy at a time of increasing global instability. Beijing has also warned that rising geopolitical turbulence is placing unprecedented strain on multilateral institutions and the broader international system. Pakistan is expected to align with China’s position on strengthening the United Nations and supporting dialogue-based approaches to conflict resolution. Diplomatic sources say that Dar would reiterate Islamabad’s longstanding view that disputes should be resolved peacefully and within the framework of the UN Charter. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was also invited by the Chinese to take part in the debate, will not be present after being denied a visa by the host nation. According to the Iranian state-run IRNA news agency, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told a press briefing on Monday that Araghchi will not be travelling to New York to participate in the meeting “due to visa issues”.