Pakistani UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaks during a UN 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 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 several others in a “terrorist incident” targeting a gathering for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah in Australia.
The envoy also underlined Pakistan’s strong support for the Gaza ceasefire framework and outlined the principles for its implementation under international law.
Addressing the Council, the envoy also reiterated Pakistan’s strong support for the ceasefire in Gaza, acknowledging the relief 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 along with 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 towards 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 – brokered by the US, 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 to Gaza.
As the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories remains dire despite the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10, Pakistan has called for steps to ensure compliance with the ceasefire agreement to stop the bloodshed, ensure humanitarian aid and pave the way for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Read: Pakistan calls for compliance with Gaza ceasefire plan
Citing the UN Secretary General’s latest report on Resolution 2334, Pakistan warned that Israeli settlement activity had reached an alarming level. Israeli authorities moved 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 settlement expansion in 2025 was at its highest level since the UN began systematic monitoring.
“These actions, as reinforced by the ICJ’s advisory opinion of July 2024 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”, Ahmad said.
The representative called for concrete steps forward and called for the full and good faith implementation of resolution 2803: an immediate halt to settlement activity in accordance with the resolution, respect for the ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian access and the start of reconstruction without annexation or forced displacement.
He also called for accountability and called for a time-bound political process leading to an independent Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Read more: Pakistan calls for dispute resolution
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 realization of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy.”
WSIS+20 UNGA meeting
Separately, during a high-level UN General Assembly meeting marking 20 years of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), Pakistan highlighted the widening global digital divide and warned that inequalities now extend beyond connectivity to data, capacity and new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
In line with the Group of 77 and China, Pakistan called for greater investment, skills development and technology transfer to developing countries and called for inclusive governance of data and artificial intelligence.
The envoy highlighted Pakistan’s decisive steps towards 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 promoting e-governance.
The Digital Nation Pakistan Act is a law that establishes the framework for nationwide digital governance, services and public infrastructure. The National AI Policy is a roadmap that guides the safe, ethical and inclusive development and use of artificial intelligence in Pakistan.
