India's election on non-permanent seat in UNSC will not affect Pakistan: Qureshi

Ahead of the elections for five non-permanent seats in the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that India getting a non-permanent seat on the powerful 15-member council was "a routine affair" and it would not affect Pakistan.

India is all set to join the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, elections for which will be held on Wednesday.

India is a candidate for a non-permanent seat from the Asia-Pacific category for the 2021-22 term. Its victory is a given since it is the sole candidate vying for the lone seat from the grouping.

Qureshi made the remarks in the Parliament after Khawaja Asif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said that he should clarify his statement that India's membership of the UNSC would not affect Pakistan.

Responding to Asif’s remarks, Qureshi said that he had not talked about India getting a permanent seat but it is possible election on the non-permanent seat, which he said was "a routine affair."

"Pakistan is part of the group which opposes the permanent membership of India in the UN Security Council,” he said, adding that the non-permanent seats were given on a rotational basis and Pakistan also remained the world body's non-permanent member in the past.

He said Pakistan would also file its candidature for the non-member seat in 2025. He said so far both Pakistan and India were elected seven times each on the non-permanent seats.