Envoy says selective application of legal norms deepening global instability, weakening multilateral system
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad at UNSC session. PHOTO: RADIOPAK
Pakistan has called for stronger respect for international law, warning that selective application of legal principles is deepening global instability.
Speaking at a High-Level Open Debate of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on January 26, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the erosion of the rule of law was contributing to conflict, humanitarian crises and weakening trust between countries.
He said international law was meant to make relations between states predictable and stable. But when countries ignore agreed rules, he warned, law risks losing its meaning. The Pakistani envoy emphasised that “reaffirming international rule of law is not an abstract legal exercise but a prerequisite for peace, justice, and collective security.”
He noted that core principles enshrined in the UN Charter – including sovereign equality, non-interference, political independence, territorial integrity, and the prohibition of the threat or use of force – are being increasingly challenged.
“Selective application of legal norms, erosion of treaty obligation and unilateral actions have weakened trust among states and strained the multilateral system in the UN Charter,” he stressed. “When law yields to power or expediency, instability deepens, disputes entrench further, and peaceful coexistence jeopardised.” He cautioned against attempts to normalise unilateral actions outside the UN framework.
Referring to tensions with India, Ambassador Ahmad said Pakistan had experienced violations of international law first-hand. He stated that last May, “India carried out an unprovoked military aggression in breach of international law and Pakistani sovereignty.” He noted that Pakistan, “acting in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter,” exercised “its inherent right of self-defence in responsible, restrained and proportional manner.”
“Our response established that there can be no new normal based on coercion or impunity,” he said, adding that “respect for international law remains the only legitimate norm governing interstate conduct.”
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Ahmad identified the “root cause of instability in South Asia” as “India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in gross violation of Security Council resolutions,” warning of grave human rights consequences that imperil durable peace.
He added that lasting peace in South Asia required resolving the Kashmir dispute in line with UN resolutions and ensuring respect for treaty obligations, including water-sharing agreements. He also condemned India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as “another blatant breach of international obligations, threatening lives, livelihoods of millions, endangering peace and security.”
“Pakistan rejects the weaponisation of water and critical natural resources,” Ahmad stated, noting that treaty compliance is a cornerstone of international legal order.
Despite regional tensions, Pakistan has demonstrated its commitment to peaceful dispute resolution, Ahmad highlighted. He said that “within weeks of defeating military aggression, Pakistan led the unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 27(88) on peaceful settlement of disputes.” This, the ambassador said, reaffirms the Council’s collective commitment to dialogue, mediation, and judicial settlement and other peaceful means as the first recourse in resolving disputes.
Turning to the wider global picture, the Pakistani envoy acknowledged that “due to double standards and lack of full compliance, the international system has often failed and fallen short of fully benefiting many countries particularly in the global south.”
Despite this, he said, nations in the Global South continue to place their trust in the UN and in a fair, rules-based international order. Ahmad called for UN reform “towards equality, democracy, and accountability, away from unbridled power and entitlement,” stating “reform for all, privilege for none.”
The UN envoy also pointed to what he described as positive developments in international law. Despite geopolitical tensions, he said, the international legal framework remains resilient. He welcomed the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement and the International Law Commission’s work on sea level rise, demonstrating the capacity to respond to emerging challenges.
He also welcomed recent advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice on Palestine and climate change, stressing that “these opinions must be respected and applied universally because selective acceptance would undermine the authority of the court and confidence in international adjudication.”
Addressing the situation in Palestine, Ahmad said it “starkly illustrates the consequences of selective adherence to international law.”
“The continued denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, persistent violations of international humanitarian law, and disregard for relevant UN resolutions erode the credibility of the international system,” Ahmad stated. He emphasised that a “just and lasting peace can only be achieved through full respect for international law and equal application of legal principles to all.”
To prevent selective application of international law, Ahmad made two proposals. He emphasised that it is imperative that “member states fulfill their obligations under Article 25 of the Charter to implement the Council’s decisions.”
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First, “the Security Council should devise effective mechanisms to systematically monitor the implementation of its own resolutions and to take action in cases of persistent non-compliance.” Second, “the Council should engage the ICJ more systematically.”
He said the rule of law could not be upheld through statements alone. “If multilateralism is to endure,” he said, “law must prevail over force, and justice over impunity.”
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to resolving disputes peacefully and to supporting a UN-centred international order based on equal rules for all states. “Pakistan remains committed to a UN Charter-inspired rules-based international order in which disputes are resolved peacefully, obligations are honoured, and the UN serves as a true guarantor of peace, justice, and dignity for all,” he added.
