Pakistan abstains in UN vote on Iran sanctions panel

Pakistan abstains in UN vote on Iran sanctions panel.

Key points

• Anwar Iqbal Published September 17, 2026 Updated September 17, 2026 09: 46pm.
• The panel, established under UNSC Resolution 1929 of 2010, monitors implementation of measures imposed on Iran and provides the council with assessments and recommendations.
• The resolution was rejected after China and Russia, two of the Security Council's five permanent members, voted against it, effectively vetoing the measure.
• Pakistan additionally reaffirmed its backing for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), describing it as the technical body responsible for implementing safeguards agreements.
• "Diplomacy and dialogue remain the guiding principle" for resolving outstanding problems concerning Iran's nuclear programme, Ambassador Ahmad informed the council.

Anwar Iqbal Published September 17, 2026 Updated September 17, 2026 09: 46pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan abstained on Thursday when the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted on a US- resolution to extend the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the council's Iran sanctions committee.

Notably, the resolution was rejected after China and Russia, two of the Security Council's five permanent members, voted against it, effectively vetoing the measure. While two, including Pakistan, abstained, eleven of the 15 Council members, including the United States, Britain and France, voted in favour.

Meanwhile, the negotiations on the draft resolution reflected the deep divisions within the council over the Iran nuclear matter, particularly the dispute over the triggering of the "snapback" mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran that had been suspended under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and Security Council Resolution 2231 of 2015.

China and Russia reiterated their longstanding opposition to the legal and procedural validity of the snapback mechanism. Both permanent members were projected to vote against the draft. It would block its adoption even if it secured nine or more votes in favour.

Pakistan's abstention was explained by its permanent representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. This person remarked Islamabad remained concerned that the Iran nuclear problem had become increasingly complicated and that the council had moved away from the spirit of cooperation and peaceful settlement that had accompanied the adoption of Resolution 2231 in 2015.

Notably, the US draft extends the experts' mandate until September 2027 and asks the panel to provide recommendations on updating sanctions-related measures, quarterly reports on its work and an annual report to the UNSC.

In practice, the panel, established under UNSC Resolution 1929 of 2010, monitors implementation of measures imposed on Iran and provides the council with assessments and recommendations. Its mandate was due to expire on Sept 26.

Notably, the dispute over the panel is part of a wider disagreement over the status of the UN sanctions regime after the invocation of the snapback mechanism by Britain, France and Germany in 2025.

Pakistan has consistently argued that the nuclear matter should be resolved through negotiations rather than confrontation.

In his statement on Thursday, Ambassador Ahmad recalled that Pakistan had pressed the council last year to provide further time for diplomacy through a technical extension of Resolution 2231. He remarked Islamabad had cautioned that a non-confrontational and cooperative approach would have provided greater space for a lasting settlement.

"The Iran nuclear issue should be addressed through peaceful means, " he remarked, stressing that the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the parties concerned must be respected.

"The IAEA should ensure this important work as per its mandate, independently and without political interference, " Ambassador Ahmad remarked.

He pressed renewed diplomatic engagement and called on the parties to return to negotiations.

Pakistan additionally referred to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, calling on the parties to implement their commitments under the agreement and return to the negotiating table.

Anwar Iqbal is the Washington correspondent for Dawn. During a long journalism career, he has interviewed world leaders and cultural icons, including US Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, poets Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Josh Malihabadi, Bacha Khan, Nobel laureate Abdus Salam, and humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Taken together, the developments around pakistan abstains in UN vote on Iran sanctions panel point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.