Welcoming SDF-Govt agreement, envoy to UN calls for stability and Kurdish rights protection
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad at UNSC session. PHOTO: RADIOPAK
UNITED NATIONS:
Welcoming the recent agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led coalition of ethnic militias, Pakistan urged Damascus to remain on the path of an inclusive political transition toward a stable and unified country.
“We expect that its faithful implementation will bring stability and strengthen Syria’s unity and territorial integrity,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, said in the UN Security Council, which debated the situation in Syria.
“Over the past fourteen months, notable steps have been taken in advancing Syria’s political transition. Gradual and intricate, these measures nevertheless reflect movement towards stabilization after years of conflict,” he said.
“We hope to see this trajectory continue in a steady and inclusive manner, anchored in national ownership, reinforcing state institutions, consolidating security, and creating conditions conducive for durable peace.”
In this regard, the Pakistani envoy also lauded recent state initiatives, including the 16 January presidential decree concerning the rights of the Kurdish community, as constructive steps toward national cohesion.
At the same time, the ambassador said that significant challenges persist.
“The threat of terrorism remains acute. Continued presence and activities of terrorist groups, including foreign terrorist fighters, especially ETIM, pose serious risks to Syria’s stability and regional security,” he said, emphasizing that these elements must be addressed in a coordinated and effective manner, consistent with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.
“Counter-terrorism efforts must remain precise and focused, without conflating state institutions with non-state actors. It is equally important that detention facilities holding terrorists are managed and transitioned responsibly to prevent instability or spillover.”
About the grave humanitarian situation — the result of years of conflict in Syria — also requires continued attention with millions of Syrians in need of sustained assistance, as infrastructure, basic services and livelihoods remain under severe strain.
“Ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, alongside enhanced early recovery support, is essential to alleviate suffering and restore dignity,” the Pakistani envoy said, adding that with the lifting of sanctions, there is an opportunity to gradually shift from a predominantly humanitarian framework toward revitalizing economic and commercial activity, to enable meaningful recovery.
Reiterating Pakistan’s strong condemnation of Israeli violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and other destabilizing actions, the envoy termed such actions “unacceptable”.
