ISLAMABAD: Pakistan described Israel’s continued airstrikes in Syria as “unacceptable” at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, saying they constituted a breach of Syrian sovereignty and must cease immediately, as the council met to discuss the political and humanitarian situation in the Arab state.
Israel has intensified its military activity in Syria following the downfall of Bashar Assad’s regime in late 2024, citing security concerns over the alleged presence of hostile elements near its borders. The Israeli government has also declared an open-ended military presence in the area, framing it as necessary to and to secure its northern frontier.
In parallel, Israel has also reaffirmed and expanded its hold over the Golan Heights, a territory it captured from Syria in 1967 and later annexed, a move unrecognized by much of the international community. Its recent plans to double the settler population in the Golan have drawn criticism, with various international players warning that Israel’s actions risk further destabilizing an already volatile region.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative-designate to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, condemned what he called Israel’s “military escalation” in Syria, urging the Security Council to hold Tel Aviv accountable.
“Israel’s repeated and continuing incursions and airstrikes into Syrian territory, continued violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and its declared intent for an ‘indefinite’ presence and ‘full demilitarization of southern Syria’ are unacceptable, constitute blatant violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and undermine international law and regional stability,” Ahmad said during his comments.
He maintained that Israel’s actions were in direct contravention of the council’s March 14 Presidential Statement, which reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty and called on all states to refrain from interference that could further destabilize the country.
“Israel must cease its incursions forthwith and this council must hold Israel to its obligations,” he added.
Addressing the broader situation in Syria, Ahmad said the Arab state’s multifaceted challenges — political, economic, security and humanitarian — required a “holistic and coordinated response.”
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, calling it key to achieving lasting peace.
Welcoming Syria’s new interim Constitution as a “critical step” toward restoring the rule of law, Ahmad also described last month’s National Dialogue Conference as a “positive development.”
He expressed hope that the forthcoming appointment of an interim government, legislative council, and constitutional committee would reflect Syria’s diversity and promote inclusive governance.
Ahmad warned that Syria’s economic crisis — marked by cash shortages, fuel deficits, and rising prices — was worsening the humanitarian situation.
He called for robust international support for the UN’s transitional action plan focused on poverty reduction, refugee reintegration and institutional capacity-building.
“In this regard, lifting of unilateral sanctions is imperative to facilitating reconstruction and aid efforts,” he said, adding that a reassessment and drawdown of the UN sanctions regime was also warranted to ensure that vital economic and humanitarian initiatives were not obstructed.
 

KARACHI: Britain’s Department of Transport has made “no decision” yet regarding the Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) restricted status in the United Kingdom (UK), a PIA spokesman said on Tuesday.
PIA was slapped with a ban by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), UK and United States (US) authorities after Pakistan opened an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses following a deadly PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people in May 2020.
PIA resumed its operations in Europe in Jan. after EASA lifted its ban, however, the debt-ridden airline still remains barred from flying to the UK and the US. A delegation of the UK’s Department for Transport also visited Pakistan this year to evaluate the airline’s safety standards.
Pakistani officials have expressed hopes that PIA will resume flights to the UK in the next three months, but some local media outlets reported on Tuesday that the UK authorities had decided to keep the airline on their air safety list.
“No announcement has been made by the British Department of Transport nor has any letter been received,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan told Arab News. “No decision has been taken by the British Department of Transport yet.”
Khan said all Pakistani institutions related to aviation were in constant contact with the British authorities and carrying out their work in unison.
“Any speculation in this regard should be avoided,” he added.
Cash-strapped Pakistan is looking to privatize the debt-ridden PIA to raise funds amid an effort to reform state-owned enterprises under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program secured last year.
Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered $36 million for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier, a fraction of the asking price of approximately $303 million. Officials say PIA’s cumulative losses alone are close to $3 billion, with the total asset valuation of the airline standing at approximately $572 million.
Pakistan hopes new European routes and flying approval to the UK will boost PIA’s selling potential.