Dhaka: Pakistan will chair United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) Taliban Sanctions Committee in 2025. This committee, officially known as 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee, takes actions such as freezing assets, banning travel, and restricting arms to people and groups linked to the Taliban. These steps are aimed at maintaining peace and stability in Afghanistan.
In addition to this role, Pakistan will also serve as a vice-chair of the UN’s 15-member Counter-Terrorism Committee in 2025. This committee focuses on global efforts to fight terrorism. Algeria will be the chair of the committee, while France, Pakistan, and Russia will be the vice-chairs.
Pakistan is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2025–2026 term. As part of its responsibilities, Pakistan will also co-chair informal working groups that handle documentation, procedural questions, and general sanctions-related issues.
Meanwhile, Guyana and Russia will support Pakistan as vice-chairs of the Taliban Sanctions Committee. Denmark will chair another major body, the 1267 ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, with Russia and Sierra Leone as vice-chairs.
India, which was the chair of Counter-Terrorism Committee in 2022 during its 2021–22 UNSC term, has often criticized Pakistan’s role at the UN. India has accused Pakistan of being a safe haven for many UN-designated terrorists. India has reminded the international community that Osama bin Laden, the former leader of Al-Qaeda, had been hiding in Pakistan for years before being killed by US forces in 2011.
Currently, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US. The 10 non-permanent members include Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia, as reported by PTI.
In a recent vote, five new countries – Bahrain, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Latvia, and Colombia – were elected as non-permanent members for the term beginning January 1, 2026, and ending on December 31, 2027.
