The new Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Asim reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter.
The UN chief congratulated him on his new role and extended his best wishes for a successful tenure.
Ambassador Asim has replaced Ambassador Munir Akram, who left his position as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN after completing his tenure on March 31, 2025.
Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Asim served as his country’s ambassador to France and Monaco and as Permanent Delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from November 2022 to December 2024.
Before holding several positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as the spokesperson, in Islamabad, he served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Thailand and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) from 2017 to 2021.
His work with the United Nations in New York and Geneva includes serving as a member of the country’s delegation to the Security Council in 2003-2004 and in 2012-2013, when he also served as Pakistan’s political coordinator in the Council.
He has represented Pakistan at the Human Rights Council and the review of Pakistan’s reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee against Torture. He also served as the Deputy Chef de Cabinet to the General Assembly President from 2009-2010.
Ambassador Asim joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1993. In a diplomatic career spanning three decades, he has made his mark working across regions from Europe and Africa to Asia and the United Nations at various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan’s Missions abroad.
Conflict zones
Amid record high Killing of humanitarian personnel in conflict zones around the world, Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council to push for sanctions and legal action against violators.
“Impunity must end,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council during a debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.
“Impunity is not merely a failure of justice — it is a license for repetition, he said, adding, “Timely, independent and impartial investigations must hold perpetrators accountable.”
In this regard, the Pakistani envoy urged the creation of a “global implementation dashboard” for that resolution — it should provide real-time public tracking of violations, investigations and their outcomes “for everyone to see and follow”.
The escalating attacks on humanitarian personnel are not just isolated incidents — “they reflect a growing disregard for international norms,” Ambassador Asim said, adding that it is unacceptable that those who work to provide “dignity amidst displacement” are met “not with gratitude, but with gunfire”.
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 Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Haiti, Lebanon and Yemen, the Pakistani envoy said, nowhere is this crisis more evident than in Gaza, where 399 humanitarian workers, including 408 humanitarian workers, including 284 UNRWA personnel, have been killed since the October 23 Israeli war in the enclave.
“We are failing those who risk their lives and act as a lifeline to serve others.”
UNSC Resolution 2730, he said, unequivocally reaffirmed that humanitarian personnel must be protected in accordance with international law, underscoring that the promise of protection must be backed by action.
Pakistan also supports the call for mandatory integration of safety provisions into all UN mission mandates, especially during peacekeeping drawdowns and transitions.
Bureaucratic hurdles, and weaponization of humanitarian access as a war tactic must cease, Ambassador Asim told delegates.
“We must ensure public access to accurate and reliable information, monitor misinformation and disinformation related to UN and humanitarian activities, and sanction those responsible for spreading harmful content.”
Pakistan, he said, remains committed to supporting the effective implementation of resolution 2730 and to upholding the safety, dignity, and neutrality of all humanitarian and UN personnel,” the Pakistani envoy added.
“Let us ensure that the courage of humanitarian workers is matched by collective international resolve to protect them; This will be important to restore the credibility of this Council’s decisions.”
Earlier, two senior UN officials appealed in the Security Council for an end to attacks against humanitarians and personnel working for the global organization.
Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General with UN aid coordination office OCHA, and Gilles Michaud, head of the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) were speaking during a meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.