Diplomatic disaster

The year has begun with a major setback for India's diplomats at the UN Security Council. India had a bid for control of several key panels in the Security Council, most importantly the panel handling sanctions on Al Qaeda and Daesh. It also wanted control of the Afghan file and of the panel on non-proliferation in the region. However other members of the Security Council, including its permanent members, have denied India the positions that it sought, arguing that these need to go to impartial hands so that they are not misused. It is quite obvious that India's quest for control of the Al Qaeda/Daesh Sanctions Committee was intended as a means to exert pressure on Pakistan. The same is true of the Afghan file and to some extent, the Non-proliferation Committee.

Instead, India has been given partial control of the committee on sanctions against the Taliban, but as diplomats at the Security Council have pointed out, this is limited to one year rather than the usual two years – and deferred for one year. For the moment, the file on Afghanistan has been handed to two neutral European nations, while others will deal with the other matters in the region, dealing with sanctions against Daesh and Al Qaeda. For Pakistan, this is a kind of indirect victory. For India, it is a defeat.

There can be no doubt that Indian diplomats will be questioned by New Delhi over their failure to obtain control of these vital posts. But it is also clear that the world recognizes India's devious motives and purposes. It is essential that matters at the UN level be handled neutrally and sensibly to avoid political haggling and pressure on countries simply on the grounds of politics rather than facts. The present Indian government has very little inclination to be neutral or to take a realistic attitude towards Pakistan and its concerns as well as those of Afghanistan. Its hostile policies determine this. For these reasons, the decisions at the UN will be welcomed by Pakistan. India and its diplomats must accept that they have suffered a serious setback which could influence their future performance at the UN – and perhaps rethink their domestic and foreign policies.