Pakistan on Thursday abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote on a US-sponsored resolution seeking to extend the mandate of an expert panel monitoring sanctions on Iran.
Russia and China vetoed the resolution, while 11 council members voted in favour and Pakistan and Somalia abstained.
The panel assists the Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee by investigating alleged violations and reporting its findings. The council has been without the panel for about a year due to a lack of consensus over new appointments.
Speaking at the session, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the Iran nuclear issue had become increasingly complicated amid regional tensions, attacks on nuclear facilities and divisions among major powers.
He said Pakistan continued to support dialogue and diplomacy as the means to resolve outstanding issues concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.
Ahmad also stressed the importance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) carrying out its safeguards mandate independently and without political interference.
He urged all parties to honour commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, return to negotiations and pursue diplomatic solutions to promote regional and international peace.
