US lobbied UN rights council to dilute Pakistan’s Gaza proposal, diplomats say

US lobbied UN rights council to dilute Pakistan’s Gaza proposal, diplomats say
Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, attends a side event during the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, March 26, 2024. (REUTERS/ File)
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Updated 04 April 2025
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US lobbied UN rights council to dilute Pakistan’s Gaza proposal, diplomats say

US lobbied UN rights council to dilute Pakistan’s Gaza proposal, diplomats say
  • UN rights council adopted the resolution moved by Pakistan seeking Israel's accountability
  • Despite forsaking the council, US lobbied to block any new UN investigation against Israel

GENEVA: Two months after President Donald Trump announced a halt to US engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Council, Washington is influencing its work by applying pressure publicly and behind the scenes, seven diplomats and rights workers said.

The United States left its seat empty during a six-week session of the 47-member council ending on Friday, but its lobbying and pressure had some success, the sources told Reuters.

They said the US, which has accused the council of an anti-Israel bias, had focused on blunting a proposal by Pakistan on the creation of an International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), the most rigorous type of UN investigation, on Israel's actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The version of Pakistan's proposal that was passed on Wednesday by the council, whose mission is to promote and protect human rights worldwide, did not include the creation of the IIIM.

The council already has a commission of inquiry on the Palestinian Territories, but Pakistan's proposal would have created an additional probe with extra powers to gather evidence for possible use in international courts.

A March 31 letter sent by Brian Mast, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, and James R. Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cautioned against voting the proposal through.

“Any HRC member state or UN entity that supports an Israel-specific IIM ... will face the same consequences as the ICC faced,” the letter said.

It appeared to be referring to sanctions approved by the House of Representatives on the International Criminal Court in protest at its arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister over Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

The final version of Pakistan’s proposal referred only to an invitation to the UN General Assembly to consider an IIIM in the future.

Two Geneva-based diplomats said they had received messages from US diplomats before the change of wording asking them to oppose the new investigation.

“They were saying: ‘back off on this issue,’” said one, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Reuters could not establish whether the revision was a direct result of US actions.

A US State Department spokesperson said it was complying with the executive order signed by Trump on Feb. 4 withdrawing the US from the council and would not participate in it, adding: “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on private diplomatic conversations.”

Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Geneva did not respond to a request for comment.

“The US seems to be trying to have it both ways. It doesn’t want to pay for or participate in the UN but it still wants to boss it around,” said Lucy McKernan, Deputy Director for United Nations at Human Rights Watch’s Geneva office.

‘RAW POWER’

The US and Israel are not members of the council but, like all UN member states have informal observer status and a seat in the council’s meeting chamber.

International human rights institutions are now at a critical juncture, said Phil Lynch, Director of International Service for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization.

“We are potentially confronting a future characterised by lawlessness and raw power,” he said.

The US was once the top donor to the UN rights system, but Trump has said the UN is “not being well run” and aid cuts by his administration have forced scalebacks.

The US and Israel have also opposed the mandate of one of the council’s independent experts during this session.

The Israeli ambassador said on March 24 that Francesca Albanese, a critic of Israeli actions in Gaza, had breached a UN code of conduct through “blatant antisemitic behaviour and discourse,” a diplomatic note showed.

The US State Department spokesperson said Albanese was “unfit for her role.”

“The correspondence received is under consideration,” council spokesperson Pascal Sim said, adding that whenever the council makes a nomination, “it does so with the knowledge that the mandate-holder is expected to serve up to six years in this function.”

The internal body that ensures UN experts adhere to a code of conduct condemned what it described as a coordinated campaign against Albanese, according to a letter from the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures dated 28 March.

It found no evidence to support Israel’s complaints against Albanese. However, it is introducing social media guidelines for UN experts in light of some concerns raised about her X posts.

 


Fear and uncertainty grip Azad Kashmir’s tourism sector as India-Pakistan tensions soar

Fear and uncertainty grip Azad Kashmir’s tourism sector as India-Pakistan tensions soar
Updated 26 sec ago
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Fear and uncertainty grip Azad Kashmir’s tourism sector as India-Pakistan tensions soar

Fear and uncertainty grip Azad Kashmir’s tourism sector as India-Pakistan tensions soar
  • Guesthouses in Azad Kashmir experiencing “zero occupancy” due to safety concerns and restrictions, says hotel association
  • Tensions between Delhi, Islamabad have surged since last month when militant attack killed 26 in Indian-administered Kashmir

PIR CHANASI, Muzaffarabad: Tensions between India and Pakistan have impacted tourism in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with local business owners reporting a sharp decline in visitor arrivals on Sunday (May 4) due to safety concerns and restrictions on movement enforced by Pakistani authorities.
The latest crisis between the nuclear-armed neighbors was sparked by a deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region last week that saw suspected militants kill at least 26 people. India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, which Islamabad denies. Pakistan has said it has “credible intelligence” that India intends to launch military action.
The Pir Chinasi area in Muzaffarabad district, a popular hilltop tourist destination not far from the border with India-administered Kashmir, has seen a dramatic drop in footfall, leaving hotels empty and businesses struggling.
“Due to tensions between India and Pakistan, the roads have been closed here since the border is nearby,” Mohammad Saghir, a local restaurant owner, said. “Because of this, only a few tourists are coming here.”
However, Syed Yasir Ali, a tourist from Islamabad, said he believes the area is still “a safe place” and “very peaceful.”
Despite Ali’s positive reassurances, Abrar Ahmed Butt, a spokesperson for the All Kashmir Hotel Association, local hotels and guesthouses have experienced “zero occupancy” over the past eight days due to road closures and restrictions on movement being enforced by local authorities. With no end in sight for the current hostilities, Butt said he is “hoping for the best”, but very supportive of Pakistani authorities, even if it means preventing tourists from traveling to the Muzaffarabad area.
“National security is our top priority. As patriots, we love our country. When our country is secure, business and other aspects will follow suit. With faith, we trust things will improve,” said Butt.


Flight club: Pinching pigeons on the India-Pakistan border

Flight club: Pinching pigeons on the India-Pakistan border
Updated 6 min 13 sec ago
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Flight club: Pinching pigeons on the India-Pakistan border

Flight club: Pinching pigeons on the India-Pakistan border
  • Pigeon fanciers on both sides of de facto border try to lure birds from each other
  • Indian bird keepers say Pakistani pigeons are “bred better and fly longer durations”

JAMMU: In the skies above the bunkers where Indian and Pakistani soldiers trade gunfire, masters of an ancient sport beloved on both sides seek to snatch prized pigeons from the other.

Indian breeder Pyara Singh spends his days trying to lure Pakistani birds from across the Himalayan valley, and guard against rivals wooing his flock.

“We get pigeons from Pakistan — we catch them,” said 33-year-old Singh, watching as some of his feathered favorites twisted like jets overhead. “We also often lose our pigeons to them.”

An attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that New Delhi blames on Islamabad has sparked fears of renewed conflict between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals.

Pakistan insists it was not involved in the April 22 killings of 26 mainly Hindu men but Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to respond.

Like every night since April 26, India’s army said Monday that its troops had exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers overnight across the de facto frontier in contested Kashmir.

Pigeon fanciers across the divide can’t meet face-to-face but share the same passion. Breeders say the top birds can be worth hundreds of dollars.

The skill of “kabutar-baazi” pigeon flying stretches back centuries, straddling a border created at the violent end of British imperial rule in 1947.

Singh, sitting with his 100-strong flock on the roof of his home in the village of Pangali, said it was “it is an old art.”

Keepers guide the flight of their flocks with whistles to provide a swirling spectacle.

Others race them, timing their flight home, or simply find peace in their graceful colorations and gentle coos.

But Indian keepers like Singh say their Pakistani counterparts rear “better and stronger” birds, explaining the buzz in catching their pigeons.

“They are a treasured possession,” said Aarav KHajjuria, from Sainth, another frontline Indian village.

He proudly showed his flock of 29 birds — three of which are from Pakistan.

“Our pigeons also fly there,” he said. “Two of my pigeons went.”

The teenager started breeding pigeons four years ago after watching another local fancier catch a bird.

“I was fascinated,” KHajjuria added. “I now spend time on the roof, both immediately before and after I return from school.”

But he is most proud of his Pakistani captives.

“I lured them after they’d strayed across,” he said, pointing to a nearby row of trees that mark the border.

Pakistani pigeons “are better because they’re bred better and fly longer durations in a competition,” KHajjuria said.

Keepers say capturing a pigeon is a skill, using water, grain and their own flock to lure the stray bird into the fold.

Once the bird lands, they immediately clip some feathers to stop them flying. While they grow back, the bird builds a bond with the new flock.

Fanciers fix leg rings with contact details to the animals.

“If we catch a bird that belongs to someone from the nearby villages, and we know them, we call them and hand it back,” Singh said, hand on his heart.

Birds from Pakistan are a different matter.

“Given the overall situation, and the risks involved, no one calls if the bird is from the other side,” he said.

“We don’t want any issues in the future, and allegations that as an Indian we were contacting Pakistanis.”

In fact, fanciers say that police are wary Pakistani pigeons might be carrying messages.

Indian police have in recent years “detained” several suspected of being enemy carrier pigeons, with some jailbirds accused of having Pakistani links, others Chinese.

“The Pakistani side often marks their pigeons with ink stamps, names, or rings — but beyond that, we haven’t seen anything suspicious yet,” Singh said.

“We inform the army if we come across such a pigeon, but so far, we haven’t caught any with a camera,” he joked.

Singh says he worries that the nightly gunfire will escalate.

“Ideally there shouldn’t be a war,” he said, but said the April 22 attack was “so wrong that it can’t be left unanswered.”

But he is confident nothing will stop his pigeons flying free.

“The border is not for the bird,” he said.

“No army or fence could stop them. How could you? Our pigeons go there, and theirs often cross into India.”


Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow

Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow
Updated 23 min 27 sec ago
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Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow

Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow
  • Dr. Musadiq Malik inaugurates Pakistan Expo on Disaster Risk Reduction organized by the NDMA
  • He highlights the country’s efforts to strengthen disaster resilience through early warning systems

ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistani minister on Tuesday called for a data-driven and community-inclusive approach to disaster management, as the country faces increasing threats from extreme weather events.
Pakistan has endured repeated climate-related disasters in recent years, including heatwaves, droughts and catastrophic flooding, such as the deadly 2022 deluge that displaced millions and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Musadiq Malik said disaster management in complex environments required culturally sensitive solutions informed by evidence and broad inter-agency coordination.
“Pakistan’s vision for resilience by 2030 hinges on innovation, inter-agency coordination, and evidence-based decision-making,” he said while addressing the inauguration of the 2nd Pakistan Expo on Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR-25), organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The event brought together diplomats, United Nations representatives, humanitarian partners and private sector leaders.
Malik highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen disaster resilience through early warning systems, localized response mechanisms and international cooperation.
He also pointed to the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) that was set up to improve national response coordination and share technical expertise with regional partners.
“Pakistan has transformed challenges into opportunities by developing indigenous capacities like NEOC and sharing technical expertise with regional partners, creating goodwill and diplomatic leverage,” he added.
The minister praised the combined efforts of civil and military responders, civil society organizations and development partners in tackling past disasters and urged international donors to increase support for Pakistan’s adaptation and mitigation strategies, including better access to climate finance and carbon markets.


Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials

Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials
Updated 06 May 2025
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Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials

Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials
  • Aurangzeb aims to highlight Pakistan’s improving economic outlook in meetings with investors
  • He will also discuss trade, investment and bilateral economic ties with senior British officials

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb left for London on Tuesday to meet British officials, financial institutions and business groups, as the South Asian nation seeks to attract foreign investment by highlighting its improving economic outlook.
Pakistan is striving to draw overseas investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn that forced Islamabad to seek external financing from friendly nations and multiple loan programs with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The government has also pursued aggressive economic diplomacy in recent years, signing several agreements and memoranda of understanding with countries in Central Asia and the Middle East.
Aurangzeb’s visit to the United Kingdom is part of Islamabad’s wider strategy to expand those efforts and engage potential investors from other regions.
“The federal minister for finance, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, has departed for London to meet British officials, investors, financial institutions, investment banks, business firms and organizations,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
During the three-day visit, Aurangzeb will attend multiple investment forums and seminars where he will outline Pakistan’s economic trajectory.
He is also scheduled to participate in a roundtable titled “Pakistan Access Days” hosted by Jefferies, a prominent US-based investment bank, and another session with UK tech investors focusing on government-friendly policies in artificial intelligence, mining, health care and other sectors.
Aurangzeb will be joined at the roundtables by Muhammad Ali, the prime minister’s adviser on investment.
In addition to meetings with private sector leaders, Aurangzeb will visit the UK Treasury Department for talks with Financial Secretary Lord Livermore and senior officials.
He will also meet Hamish Nickells-Falconer, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
The finance minister will also hold meetings with the chief executives of Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered, and meet with Simon Baugh, CEO of the UK’s Government Communication Service.
During the trip, he is expected to hold a series of question-and-answer sessions with selected representatives from international and British media outlets.


Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India

Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India
Updated 06 May 2025
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Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India

Pakistan to crack down on smuggling of seeds from archrival India
  • Pakistan’s food security minister says the country is falling behind India in seed quality and yield
  • He says National Seed Development Authority will curb fake seeds, enforce stringent regulations

KARACHI: Pakistan said on Tuesday it would launch a crackdown on the smuggling of seeds from archrival India while emphasizing better regulation of the domestic seed market and promotion of local agricultural innovation.
The move comes amid renewed tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors after last month’s deadly attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, though Islamabad denied the charge.
Both countries have since taken tit-for-tat measures against each other, downgrading bilateral trade and diplomatic ties. India has also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a decades-old pact governing cross-border river flows, raising food security concerns for lower riparian Pakistan in the longer run.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, chaired a high-level meeting focusing on the issue, pointing out that Indian seeds were being smuggled into Pakistan and openly advertised on social media platforms.
“The Ministry is working closely with law enforcement agencies to take strict action against those involved in this illegal activity,” he said.
He also warned that the country, once ahead of India in agricultural innovation, was now falling behind.
“It is unfortunate that we now cite India’s example in seed quality and yield performance,” he added.
Hussain also raised the issue of the widespread sale of non-certified and substandard seeds in local markets, saying the authorities had banned 392 companies found guilty of distributing fake seeds.
The participants of the meeting said more than 50,000 metric tons of cotton seeds were available for the upcoming season, nearly meeting the total requirement of 53,796 metric tons and easing concerns about shortages.
According to a statement circulated after the meeting, the minister addressed the problem of price volatility in the seed market, saying the National Seed Development Authority had been established to monitor seed quality, prevent the sale of fake seeds and enforce stringent regulations.
He also reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting farmers’ rights, ensuring food security, and transforming the agriculture sector through transparency, regulation and innovation.