US support to India on UNSC seat will complicate matters: Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Reacting almost within minutes of US President Barack Obama’s address to the Indian parliament, Pakistan said Monday US support to India’s bid for the permanent seat at the UN Security Council will “complicate” the council’s reforms process and hoped Washington would not take a view based on “temporary exigencies of power politics”.

“Pakistan’s position on UN Security Council’s reforms is based on principles. Any reform of the council that contradicts the very fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of sovereign equality; of equal rights and self-determination; and the principle of collective security, would gravely undermine the system of international relations based on the UN Charter principles,” Online news agency reported quoting a foreign office spokesman.

The official said India’s aspirations for recognition as a global power notwithstanding, there are reasons enough to discredit this proposed direction of the process of UNSC reforms such as India’s conduct in relations with its neighbours and its “continued flagrant violations of Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir”.

In a globalized and interdependent world, multilateral cooperation can only flourish, if it is based on respect of the principles of the UN Charter and is consistent with recognized norms of inter-state conduct and international law, the spokesman said.

“Pakistan hopes that the US, which contributed immensely to the founding of the UN system, and in particular, its Charter principles, will take a moral view and not base itself on any temporary expediency or exigencies of power politics,” the spokesman added.