Global Watch | Pakistan At UN: Credibility Gap Exposes Hollowness Of Its Peace Pitch

Islamabad’s selective invocation of human rights and self-determination also exposes the limits of its diplomatic narrative when its own record remains contested

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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 25 was built around Islamabad’s familiar diplomatic whataboutism.

He spoke of “peace", “dialogue", “international law", the UN Charter, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, presenting Pakistan as a country committed to mediation. Sharif also described Islamabad’s role in facilitating dialogue in the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran while portraying Pakistan as a victim of terrorism.

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The significance of the speech, however, lies in the tension between this diplomatic rhetoric and the political and security environment in which it was delivered.

Sharif sought to project Pakistan as a responsible diplomatic actor even as developments inside and around the country raise questions about the consistency of that projection. The contrast is visible across several domains including the role of the Pakistan Army in national decision-making, the treatment of political opposition and the media by the military-dominated establishment, Pakistan’s complicated relationship with terrorist groups, and its claims concerning rights and self-determination.

The military’s influence over Pakistan’s foreign policy was visible throughout the speech. Sharif praised Field Marshal Asim Munir for his role during the 2025 India-Pakistan confrontation and credited him with contributing to Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts. He presented Pakistan’s military response to India as an exercise in self-defence and thanked US President Donald Trump for his intervention, while making no reference to the role of Pakistan-based terrorist organisations in violence against India, including the Pahalgam attack of April 22, 2025, which triggered the Operation Sindoor of May 7-10, 2026.

This is significant because the Pakistani military has long exercised considerable influence over the country’s security, economic, and foreign policy. Its role in domestic political affairs has also become increasingly visible, particularly under........

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