Asim Iftikhar presents credentials to Guterres as Pakistan’s permanent rep to UN

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad Wednesday presented his credentials as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN to Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.

The ambassador had been officiating as Additional Permanent Representative at Pakistan Mission, a post created for the first time by the Foreign Office.

Wednesday saw a change of guards at Pakistan’s Mission in New York after over a decade, after Ambassador Munir Akram, a political appointee, finally stepped back.

“During their meeting, Ambassador Asim reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter. Secretary-General Guterres congratulated Ambassador Asim on his new role and extended his best wishes for a successful tenure,” announced the Foreign Office.

The ambassador, added the FO, has distinguished himself in particular in multilateral diplomacy, from leadership positions at the Ministry, to important roles and assignments at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, besides being the country’s Permanent Representative to Unescap (Bangkok) and Unesco (Paris) where he was also the Vice Chair (Asia Pacific Group) in the Executive Board and Vice Chair of the General Conference.

Immediately after presenting his credentials, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad briefed the UN Security Council on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts.

“Pakistan remains committed to supporting the effective implementation of resolution 2730 and to upholding the safety, dignity, and neutrality of all humanitarian and UN personnel. We reaffirm our support for the secretary-general’s efforts to enhance their safety and security, and stand ready to work with all to operationalize the secretary-general’s recommendations,” the ambassador was quoted by his office at the UN.

He pointed out that the figures on casualties of civilians spoke for themselves where according to the Aid Worker Security Database, 379 humanitarian personnel were killed in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record.

“While there are challenges in various situations such as DRC, Sudan, Haiti, Lebanon and Yemen; nowhere is this crisis more evident than in Gaza."

Pakistan put forth six proposals at the UNSC to ensure that humanitarian workers remain safe during armed conflicts.