The UN Security Council on Monday strongly condemned North Korea&#39;s latest missile test and vowed to push all countries to tighten sanctions against Pyongyang.

In a unanimous statement backed by China, Pyongyang`s ally, the council instructed its sanctions committee to redouble efforts to implement a raft of tough measures adopted last year.

The council also agreed to &quot;take further significant measures including sanctions&quot; to force North Korea to change course and end its &quot;highly destabilizing behavior&quot;.

The Security Council will hold a closed-door emergency meeting Tuesday at the request of Japan, South Korea and the United States to discuss further action in response to the latest missile test.

The US-drafted statement was nearly identical to one adopted last week after the launch of an intermediate-range missile that Pyongyang said was capable of carrying a &quot;heavy&quot; nuclear warhead.

The council demanded that North Korea &quot;conduct no further nuclear and ballistic missile tests&quot;.

North Korea on Sunday fired the Pukguksong-2, which uses solid fuel that allows for immediate firing, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.

It was the latest test-firing in a series this year as Pyongyang steps up its efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States.

(AFP)

In a unanimous statement backed by China, Pyongyang`s ally, the council instructed its sanctions committee to redouble efforts to implement a raft of tough measures adopted last year

The UN Security Council on Monday strongly condemned North Korea's latest missile test and vowed to push all countries to tighten sanctions against Pyongyang. In a unanimous statement backed by China, Pyongyang`s ally, the council instructed its sanctions committee to redouble efforts to implement a raft of tough measures adopted last year. The council also agreed to "take further significant measures including sanctions" to force North Korea to change course and end its "highly destabilizing behavior". The Security Council will hold a closed-door emergency meeting Tuesday at the request of Japan, South Korea and the United States to discuss further action in response to the latest missile test. The US-drafted statement was nearly identical to one adopted last week after the launch of an intermediate-range missile that Pyongyang said was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead. The council demanded that North Korea "conduct no further nuclear and ballistic missile tests". North Korea on Sunday fired the Pukguksong-2, which uses solid fuel that allows for immediate firing, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said. It was the latest test-firing in a series this year as Pyongyang steps up its efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States. (AFP)

UN Security Council takes tough stand against North Korea's latest missile test

India and other G4 members -- Brazil, Germany, and Japan -- have offered to forgo veto powers initially if they are made permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The G4 group -- formed to support each other&rsquo;s bids for permanent seats on the UNSC -- has made the offer as a bargaining chip to get the reform process moving, agencies reported.

&quot;The issue of veto is important, but we should not allow it to have a veto over the process of Council reform itself,&quot; said India&#39;s Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin on behalf of the G4 at the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on Council reforms.

Akbaruddin said that in principle, the new permanent members would have veto powers that the current five have but they would not exercise them &quot;until a decision on the matter had been has been taken during a review&quot;.

The G4 nations are regularly elected to two-year terms as non-permanent members on the UNSC by their respective regional groups.

The G4 said the allocation of non-permanent seats had outlived their relevance since the UN was formed and its subsequent reform in 1965 when the number of non-permanent members was increased from six to 10.

Italy&#39;s Permanent Representative Sebastiano Cardi opposed the addition of permanent members and instead suggested creating a new category of elected membership with longer terms than the current two years.

G4, which lobbies for Council reforms on an expanded body, rejected the suggestions as a ploy to block adding new permanent members.

Syed Akbaruddin said expanding the non-permanent categories would only worsen the imbalance of influence in the Council and reinforce an outdated set-up.

Cardi made the proposal on behalf of Uniting for Consensus (UfC), a 13-member group that includes Pakistan and has been blocking the reform process since decades.

The UfC had suggested adding 11 seats to the Council, with nine of them having longer terms.

Deriding the UfC proposal as &quot;old hat&quot;, Akbaruddin cited the the 1944 Dumbarton Oaks conference in Washington which had rejected suggestions for the longer-term Council membership.

He said any proposal for reforms without expanding the number of permanent membership would do injustice to Africa&#39;s aspirations for equality.

The five permanent members with veto powers at the UNSC are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.&nbsp;

Akbaruddin said that the 53 members of the Asia-Pacific group had only two elected seats on the UNSC while the 26-member Western Europe group also had the same number. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

India and other G4 countries have made the offer as a bargaining chip to get the reform process moving

India and other G4 members -- Brazil, Germany, and Japan -- have offered to forgo veto powers initially if they are made permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The G4 group -- formed to support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the UNSC -- has made the offer as a bargaining chip to get the reform process moving, agencies reported. "The issue of veto is important, but we should not allow it to have a veto over the process of Council reform itself," said India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin on behalf of the G4 at the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on Council reforms. Akbaruddin said that in principle, the new permanent members would have veto powers that the current five have but they would not exercise them "until a decision on the matter had been has been taken during a review". The G4 nations are regularly elected to two-year terms as non-permanent members on the UNSC by their respective regional groups. The G4 said the allocation of non-permanent seats had outlived their relevance since the UN was formed and its subsequent reform in 1965 when the number of non-permanent members was increased from six to 10. Italy's Permanent Representative Sebastiano Cardi opposed the addition of permanent members and instead suggested creating a new category of elected membership with longer terms than the current two years. G4, which lobbies for Council reforms on an expanded body, rejected the suggestions as a ploy to block adding new permanent members. Syed Akbaruddin said expanding the non-permanent categories would only worsen the imbalance of influence in the Council and reinforce an outdated set-up. Cardi made the proposal on behalf of Uniting for Consensus (UfC), a 13-member group that includes Pakistan and has been blocking the reform process since decades. The UfC had suggested adding 11 seats to the Council, with nine of them having longer terms. Deriding the UfC proposal as "old hat", Akbaruddin cited the the 1944 Dumbarton Oaks conference in Washington which had rejected suggestions for the longer-term Council membership. He said any proposal for reforms without expanding the number of permanent membership would do injustice to Africa's aspirations for equality. The five permanent members with veto powers at the UNSC are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Akbaruddin said that the 53 members of the Asia-Pacific group had only two elected seats on the UNSC while the 26-member Western Europe group also had the same number. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India offers to forego veto powers initially to become permanent member of UNSC

About 10 Syrian rebel groups announced Monday they were suspending talks about planned peace negotiations this month in the Kazakh capital Astana, due to &quot;violations&quot; by Damascus of a four-day old truce.

&quot;As these violations are continuing, the rebel factions announce... the freezing of all discussion linked to the Astana negotiations,&quot; they said in a joint statement, referring to talks planned for late January organised by Russia, which supports the Syrian regime, and Turkey which backs the rebels.

(AFP)

The four-day old peace plan was brokered by Russia and Turkey

About 10 Syrian rebel groups announced Monday they were suspending talks about planned peace negotiations this month in the Kazakh capital Astana, due to "violations" by Damascus of a four-day old truce. "As these violations are continuing, the rebel factions announce... the freezing of all discussion linked to the Astana negotiations," they said in a joint statement, referring to talks planned for late January organised by Russia, which supports the Syrian regime, and Turkey which backs the rebels. (AFP)

Syrian rebels suspend peace talks over 'violations' by government forces

The United States circulated on Thursday to the 15-member United Nations Security Council a draft resolution to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan and further targeted sanctions amid warnings by a senior UN&nbsp;official of possible genocide.

Political rivalry between South Sudan&#39;s President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his former deputy Riek Machar, a Nuer, led to civil war in 2013 that has often followed ethnic lines. The pair signed a shaky peace deal last year, but fighting has continued and Machar fled the country in July.

Adama Dieng, UN special adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, last week visited South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011.

&quot;I saw all the signs that ethnic hatred and targeting of civilians could evolve into genocide if something is not done now to stop it. I urge the Security Council and member states of the region to be united and to take action,&quot; Dieng told the council.

&quot;There is a strong risk of violence escalating along ethnic lines with a potential for genocide. I do not say that lightly,&quot; he said, urging the council to impose an arms embargo.

Samantha Power, US&nbsp;ambassador to the United Nations, told the council that Dieng&#39;s warning should serve as a wake-up call. &quot;None of us can say we did not see it coming,&quot; Power said.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council has long-threatened to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan, but veto powers Russia and China are skeptical whether such a move would make a difference as the country is already awash with weapons.

&quot;We think that implementing such a recommendation would hardly be helpful in settling the conflict,&quot; Deputy Russian UN ambassador Petr Iliichev said. &quot;Introducing targeted sanctions against South Sudanese leaders would be the height of irresponsibility now.&quot;

China also voiced its opposition to embargoes.

&quot;As a matter of principle, China&#39;s position is that it consistently does not agree with the use of or threat of sanctions,&quot; said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing on Friday.

&quot;On the issue of South Sudan, the United Nation&#39;s actions should send the right signal, encourage both parties to reach an agreement and respect the ceasefire, to move the situation towards stability rather than further complicating matters,&quot; he said.

The Security Council set up a targeted sanctions regime for South Sudan in March 2015 and has blacklisted six generals - three from each side of the conflict - by subjecting them to an asset freeze and travel ban.

&quot;An arms embargo is effective if there is a broad and robust commitment to its enforcement,&quot; Power told the council.

&quot;Imposing new targeted sanctions designations will isolate the individuals who have consistently been responsible for the acts that have brought South Sudan to this moment and which have caused so much suffering,&quot; Power said.

South Sudanese soldiers and rebels said on Thursday they had clashed in a state bordering Sudan, killing at least 15 people.

(Reuters)

US special adviser to UN told the council that there is a 'strong risk the ethnic violence in South Sudan may escalate to genocide'

The United States circulated on Thursday to the 15-member United Nations Security Council a draft resolution to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan and further targeted sanctions amid warnings by a senior UN official of possible genocide. Political rivalry between South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his former deputy Riek Machar, a Nuer, led to civil war in 2013 that has often followed ethnic lines. The pair signed a shaky peace deal last year, but fighting has continued and Machar fled the country in July. Adama Dieng, UN special adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, last week visited South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011. "I saw all the signs that ethnic hatred and targeting of civilians could evolve into genocide if something is not done now to stop it. I urge the Security Council and member states of the region to be united and to take action," Dieng told the council. "There is a strong risk of violence escalating along ethnic lines with a potential for genocide. I do not say that lightly," he said, urging the council to impose an arms embargo. Samantha Power, US ambassador to the United Nations, told the council that Dieng's warning should serve as a wake-up call. "None of us can say we did not see it coming," Power said. The UN Security Council has long-threatened to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan, but veto powers Russia and China are skeptical whether such a move would make a difference as the country is already awash with weapons. "We think that implementing such a recommendation would hardly be helpful in settling the conflict," Deputy Russian UN ambassador Petr Iliichev said. "Introducing targeted sanctions against South Sudanese leaders would be the height of irresponsibility now." China also voiced its opposition to embargoes. "As a matter of principle, China's position is that it consistently does not agree with the use of or threat of sanctions," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing on Friday. "On the issue of South Sudan, the United Nation's actions should send the right signal, encourage both parties to reach an agreement and respect the ceasefire, to move the situation towards stability rather than further complicating matters," he said. The Security Council set up a targeted sanctions regime for South Sudan in March 2015 and has blacklisted six generals - three from each side of the conflict - by subjecting them to an asset freeze and travel ban. "An arms embargo is effective if there is a broad and robust commitment to its enforcement," Power told the council. "Imposing new targeted sanctions designations will isolate the individuals who have consistently been responsible for the acts that have brought South Sudan to this moment and which have caused so much suffering," Power said. South Sudanese soldiers and rebels said on Thursday they had clashed in a state bordering Sudan, killing at least 15 people. (Reuters)

US seeks to impose UN arms embargo on South Sudan

As the world leaders gather at United Nations (UN) next week to attend the 71st General Assembly&#39;s high-level meet, Syria war would remain the talking point with the United States and Russia trying to shore up a fragile truce deal, Reuters reported today.&nbsp; 
 
US President Obama, who is likely to push for a boost in global refugee aid in the coming week, would be among the 135 heads &nbsp;of state attending the General Assembly.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;While many conflicts are causing enormous pain, none is causing so much death, destruction and widespread instability as the worsening war in Syria,&quot; &nbsp;UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who will step down at the end of 2016 after a decade in the job, told reporters on Wednesday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Major countries with influence have a duty to use their influence and seize this latest opportunity to pursue a political solution.&quot; 
 
About 5 million Syrians have fled the country, and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced during the conflict that has spanned for more than five years, according to Reuters.&nbsp; 
 
Differences crop up&nbsp; 
 
At the high-level meet, &nbsp;Russia had wanted the council to endorse its Syria truce deal with the United States. However, on Friday, it said a resolution was unlikely because &quot;Washington did not want to share the documents detailing the &nbsp;Syria ceasefire agreement with the 15-member UN security council.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
The ceasefire outlined a joint agreement, signed by the US secretary of state John Kerry and his foreign counterpart Sergey Lavrov on September 9, aims at halting the fight in Syria. 
 
Disagreements over the joint deal between the two countries led to an abrupt cancellation of a council meeting that was supposed to happen on Friday. 
 
Russia, Syria&#39;s main ally, had been pushing for a resolution to endorse the agreement, but the United States has been reluctant to release the details of the agreement, citing security concerns for some US-backed groups fighting in Syria. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;Most likely we are not going to have a resolution at the Security Council because the United States does not want to share those documents with the members of the Security Council,&quot; Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said. 
 
Churkin said he had presented two separate draft resolutions endorsing the deal, but said the American side had tried to introduce changes. 
 
&quot;They in their typical way came up with a completely different thing -- which is trying to interpret and re-interpret the agreement,&quot; he said adding that &ldquo;they are not doing the right thing&rdquo;. 
 
More Syria meetings next week&nbsp; 
 
John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov will attend a special council meeting on Syria on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. 
 
&quot;We believe the Security Council can play an important role in the resolution of the crisis in Syria,&quot; the US spokesman said. 
 
&quot;However, right now we are focused on the implementation of the agreement brokered by Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov, particularly the urgent need for humanitarian aid to reach Syrians in need.&quot; 
 
Obama expresses concern over deal&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama on Friday voiced &quot;deep concern&quot; that key elements of a Syria ceasefire are not being upheld. 
 
The White House has said that despite decreased violence across the war-ravaged country, the Syrian regime continues to block the flow of critical humanitarian aid.&nbsp; 
 
Obama reportedly told aides that the next steps in the deal, closer military coordination with Russia, &nbsp;will require &quot;seven continuous days of reduced violence and sustained humanitarian access.&quot; 
 
Some within the Pentagon have expressed deep reservations about the agreement forcing Obama to referee disputes. 
 
White House has repeatedly argued that the ceasefire will offer the desperately needed respite from a brutal five-year civil war that has killed 300,000 people. 
 
It says that talks are the only way the Syrian war will come to an end. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters, AFP) 
 
 
&nbsp;

About 5 million Syrians have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced during the five-year conflict

As the world leaders gather at United Nations (UN) next week to attend the 71st General Assembly's high-level meet, Syria war would remain the talking point with the United States and Russia trying to shore up a fragile truce deal, Reuters reported today. US President Obama, who is likely to push for a boost in global refugee aid in the coming week, would be among the 135 heads of state attending the General Assembly. "While many conflicts are causing enormous pain, none is causing so much death, destruction and widespread instability as the worsening war in Syria," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who will step down at the end of 2016 after a decade in the job, told reporters on Wednesday. "Major countries with influence have a duty to use their influence and seize this latest opportunity to pursue a political solution." About 5 million Syrians have fled the country, and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced during the conflict that has spanned for more than five years, according to Reuters. Differences crop up At the high-level meet, Russia had wanted the council to endorse its Syria truce deal with the United States. However, on Friday, it said a resolution was unlikely because "Washington did not want to share the documents detailing the Syria ceasefire agreement with the 15-member UN security council." The ceasefire outlined a joint agreement, signed by the US secretary of state John Kerry and his foreign counterpart Sergey Lavrov on September 9, aims at halting the fight in Syria. Disagreements over the joint deal between the two countries led to an abrupt cancellation of a council meeting that was supposed to happen on Friday. Russia, Syria's main ally, had been pushing for a resolution to endorse the agreement, but the United States has been reluctant to release the details of the agreement, citing security concerns for some US-backed groups fighting in Syria. "Most likely we are not going to have a resolution at the Security Council because the United States does not want to share those documents with the members of the Security Council," Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said. Churkin said he had presented two separate draft resolutions endorsing the deal, but said the American side had tried to introduce changes. "They in their typical way came up with a completely different thing -- which is trying to interpret and re-interpret the agreement," he said adding that “they are not doing the right thing”. More Syria meetings next week John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov will attend a special council meeting on Syria on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. "We believe the Security Council can play an important role in the resolution of the crisis in Syria," the US spokesman said. "However, right now we are focused on the implementation of the agreement brokered by Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov, particularly the urgent need for humanitarian aid to reach Syrians in need." Obama expresses concern over deal Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama on Friday voiced "deep concern" that key elements of a Syria ceasefire are not being upheld. The White House has said that despite decreased violence across the war-ravaged country, the Syrian regime continues to block the flow of critical humanitarian aid. Obama reportedly told aides that the next steps in the deal, closer military coordination with Russia, will require "seven continuous days of reduced violence and sustained humanitarian access." Some within the Pentagon have expressed deep reservations about the agreement forcing Obama to referee disputes. White House has repeatedly argued that the ceasefire will offer the desperately needed respite from a brutal five-year civil war that has killed 300,000 people. It says that talks are the only way the Syrian war will come to an end. (WION with inputs from Reuters, AFP)

World leaders to discuss Syria war at UN next week as US, Russia try to shore up 'fragile' truce deal

The United Nations Security Council failed on Saturday to condemn the violence and unrest in Turkey, after Egypt objected to a statement that called on all parties to &quot;respect the democratically elected government of Turkey,&quot; diplomats said. 
 
The US-drafted statement, seen by Reuters, also expressed grave concern over the situation in Turkey, urged the parties to show restraint, avoid any violence or bloodshed, and called for an urgent end to the crisis and return to rule of law. 
 
Statements by the 15-member Security Council have to be agreed by consensus. 
 
&quot;We proposed different language that respects democratic and constitutional principles, but the Americans refused to engage,&quot; Egypt&#39;s UN ambassador Amr Aboulatta told Reuters. 
 
?Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is a former general who overthrew elected President Mohamed Mursi, of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, in 2013 after mass protests against Mursi. Turkey provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. 
 
Diplomats said Egypt asked for a call for all parties to &quot;respect the democratically elected government of Turkey&quot; to be removed from the draft statement, saying the council is &quot;in no position to qualify, or label that government - or any other government for that matter - as democratically elected or not&quot;. 
 
After the United States and Britain objected to the proposed change to the text, Egypt proposed that the council call on the parties in Turkey to &quot;respect the democratic and constitutional principles and the rule of law,&quot; diplomats said. 
 
Negotiations on the text ended at this point, diplomats said. 
 
The Egyptian foreign ministry said that it was &quot;surprised that its proposed amendment was not taken up, and with the claim that it is obstructing the release of the statement.&quot; 
 
Turkish forces loyal to President Tayyip Erdogan largely crushed an attempted military coup on Saturday after crowds answered his call to take to the streets in support of the government and dozens of rebels abandoned their tanks. 
 
(Reuters)

Egyptian diplomats said the UN council is in no position to qualify or label any government as democratically elected or not

The United Nations Security Council failed on Saturday to condemn the violence and unrest in Turkey, after Egypt objected to a statement that called on all parties to "respect the democratically elected government of Turkey," diplomats said. The US-drafted statement, seen by Reuters, also expressed grave concern over the situation in Turkey, urged the parties to show restraint, avoid any violence or bloodshed, and called for an urgent end to the crisis and return to rule of law. Statements by the 15-member Security Council have to be agreed by consensus. "We proposed different language that respects democratic and constitutional principles, but the Americans refused to engage," Egypt's UN ambassador Amr Aboulatta told Reuters. ?Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is a former general who overthrew elected President Mohamed Mursi, of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, in 2013 after mass protests against Mursi. Turkey provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Diplomats said Egypt asked for a call for all parties to "respect the democratically elected government of Turkey" to be removed from the draft statement, saying the council is "in no position to qualify, or label that government - or any other government for that matter - as democratically elected or not". After the United States and Britain objected to the proposed change to the text, Egypt proposed that the council call on the parties in Turkey to "respect the democratic and constitutional principles and the rule of law," diplomats said. Negotiations on the text ended at this point, diplomats said. The Egyptian foreign ministry said that it was "surprised that its proposed amendment was not taken up, and with the claim that it is obstructing the release of the statement." Turkish forces loyal to President Tayyip Erdogan largely crushed an attempted military coup on Saturday after crowds answered his call to take to the streets in support of the government and dozens of rebels abandoned their tanks. (Reuters)

Egypt blocks UN call to respect 'democratically elected' government in Turkey

Pakistan has raised the issue of the recent US drone strike that killed the Afghan Taliban chief, in the UN Security Council (UNSC), describing it as an &quot;unacceptable and blatant violation of its sovereignty&quot; and of the UN charter and international law. 
 
Speaking in the quarterly debate on Afghanistan in the UNSC, Pakistan&#39;s Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said the Afghan peace process was undermined by the US drone attack of May 21 which killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in Balochistan province close to the Afghan border. 
 
This action has dealt &quot;a blow to the Afghan peace process&quot; and added to the intensity and complexity of the Afghan conflict, she added. 
While expressing Pakistan&#39;s readiness to support a genuine Afghan peace process, Lodhi warned that her country will not tolerate violations of its sovereignty and its territorial integrity, &quot;from whatever source&quot;. 
 
She asked whether the international community wanted a negotiated peace or a military solution in Afghanistan. She warned that those seeking a renewed recourse to a military solution need to think through its consequences. 
 
&quot;Is it ready to invest in war rather than peace in Afghanistan?&quot; she asked the 15-member UNSC. 
 
Referring to the secretary general&#39;s report on Afghanistan, the Pakistani envoy said that this reinforced the firm international consensus that &quot;only by a negotiated political agreement will Afghans achieve sustainable peace&quot;. 
 
She said Pakistan agreed to facilitate the first-ever direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban in Murree in June 2015. 
 
Depicting these talks as a &quot;promising start&quot;, she regretted that days before the second round in which the two sides were to also consider a de-escalation of violence, the talks were scuttled by developments &quot;well known to all&quot;. 
 
She argued that for the past 15 years the use of military force has failed to stabilise Afghanistan. 
 
&quot;Continued resort to military means will further destabilise the situation in Afghanistan and the region,&quot; she said, adding Pakistan would advice against such a strategy. 
 
Urging the Afghan government and the international coalition to take action against Pakistani Taliban elements, which have sought refuge in Afghanistan, she emphasised that the elimination of these sanctuaries was essential to peace and security. 
 
(PTI)

It called the drone strike that killed the Afghan Taliban chief on May 21 a blatant violation of its sovereignty

Pakistan has raised the issue of the recent US drone strike that killed the Afghan Taliban chief, in the UN Security Council (UNSC), describing it as an "unacceptable and blatant violation of its sovereignty" and of the UN charter and international law. Speaking in the quarterly debate on Afghanistan in the UNSC, Pakistan's Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said the Afghan peace process was undermined by the US drone attack of May 21 which killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in Balochistan province close to the Afghan border. This action has dealt "a blow to the Afghan peace process" and added to the intensity and complexity of the Afghan conflict, she added. While expressing Pakistan's readiness to support a genuine Afghan peace process, Lodhi warned that her country will not tolerate violations of its sovereignty and its territorial integrity, "from whatever source". She asked whether the international community wanted a negotiated peace or a military solution in Afghanistan. She warned that those seeking a renewed recourse to a military solution need to think through its consequences. "Is it ready to invest in war rather than peace in Afghanistan?" she asked the 15-member UNSC. Referring to the secretary general's report on Afghanistan, the Pakistani envoy said that this reinforced the firm international consensus that "only by a negotiated political agreement will Afghans achieve sustainable peace". She said Pakistan agreed to facilitate the first-ever direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban in Murree in June 2015. Depicting these talks as a "promising start", she regretted that days before the second round in which the two sides were to also consider a de-escalation of violence, the talks were scuttled by developments "well known to all". She argued that for the past 15 years the use of military force has failed to stabilise Afghanistan. "Continued resort to military means will further destabilise the situation in Afghanistan and the region," she said, adding Pakistan would advice against such a strategy. Urging the Afghan government and the international coalition to take action against Pakistani Taliban elements, which have sought refuge in Afghanistan, she emphasised that the elimination of these sanctuaries was essential to peace and security. (PTI)

Pakistan raises US drone strike issue at UN Security Council