The World Today covers escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Geeta Mohan and you're watching the world today.
00:18Now tensions between India and Pakistan is at its highest as India prepares its civilians
00:24with mock drills for preparedness against any untoward situation.
00:30Pakistani Army delegation's Nepal visit at this point has sparked debate in Kathmandu.
00:35A 12-member delegation of the Pakistani Army is currently in Nepal on a six-day study tour.
00:42This was pre-scheduled.
00:44Nepal's House of Representatives raised questions about the visit,
00:47saying what type of message is the Nepal government conveying
00:50by inviting Pakistani Army delegation as the two subcontinent neighbors are on the brink of war.
00:57This further isolates Pakistan.
00:59After it was snubbed at the UNSC meeting on Monday.
01:04At the United Nations Security Council, in a closed-door meeting,
01:10Pakistan was isolated, questioned and asked to restrain.
01:15As a non-permanent member serving in UNSC,
01:19Pakistan initiated the closed consultation to discuss rising tensions
01:23between India and Pakistan after the Pahlgaam terror attack of 22nd April.
01:29But things did not work out as it might have expected.
01:33Pakistan came to the council with a message of peace, not provocation.
01:39But peace does not happen in vacuum.
01:41It demands responsibility and respect for the rules that govern our world.
01:47While Pakistan does not seek confrontation,
01:51we are fully prepared to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
01:56India is currently not part of the UNSC, and so it wasn't present in the meeting.
02:03With Greece presiding, other members of UNSC questioned Pakistan
02:07about the religious target killing in Pahlgaam.
02:11Pakistan was also asked about the involvement of LET in Pahlgaam attack.
02:15The terror group, recognized by the UN as an international terrorist organization,
02:21is under Islamabad's state patronage.
02:25The UN members questioned Pakistan's false flags,
02:28like escalation of the nuclear rhetoric and carrying out missile launches.
02:34In response, Pakistan blamed India for provocation,
02:37calling abeyance of Indus Water Agreement as aggression.
02:41We raised alarm over India's unilateral suspension.
02:45of the Indus Waters Treaty,
02:48a legally binding accord brokered by the World Bank
02:51and upheld during wars.
02:56Water is life, not a weapon.
02:59These rivers sustain over 240 million Pakistanis.
03:04Any attempt to disrupt their flow constitutes aggression.
03:08And allowing such a precedent would endanger every lower riparian state.
03:13Though most members support India in its fight against terror,
03:18it would have been difficult to stop Pakistan with its all-weather ally, China,
03:23sitting in the council with veto power of the permanent member.
03:27I am quite confident that the council will not pass a resolution criticizing Pakistan because China will veto it.
03:35They will not pass a resolution criticizing us because many countries will object to it and probably veto it.
03:40So, it is going to be more a call for peace and concern about terror and general kind of language.
03:45I am not expecting anything specifically out of the council.
03:49India continues to receive support from different countries.
03:53On Tuesday, the Emir of Qatar on phone with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his solidarity and support.
04:01On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the Indian Prime Minister over the phone
04:07and reiterated Russian support for India's war against terror and so did the Trump administration.
04:14India has dissent against terrorism there as well.
04:19We will do everything we can in the U.S. to support those efforts.
04:22The Trump administration clearly understands the importance of that relationship.
04:25I think you will see the administration, my belief is that they will focus more energy and resources in time to help assist with that.
04:34That is certainly our hope.
04:35Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister had a telephone conversation with the Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Aamir Khan Muttaki.
04:44Though he briefed the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister on Pakistan's stand on Pahlgaam terror attack,
04:50he couldn't elicit support from Kabul.
04:54Afghanistan has already pledged its support for India in this war against terror,
04:59further isolating Pakistan within the region.
05:02Bureau Report, India Today.
05:05And if there's one man who really understands how the United Nations Security Council works,
05:13served there as Indian envoy to the U.N., it is Ambassador Akbaruddin.
05:18Ambassador Akbaruddin, thank you so much for joining us here on India Today.
05:22Now, let's just begin with what happened at the United Nations Security Council,
05:26and then we'll go back to what it is and how can India really deal with Pakistan
05:30and Pakistan terror emanating from Pakistan.
05:33Now, at the United Nations Security Council, not for the first time that India and India's allies have taken up the matter,
05:39but this time around, it was Pakistan as a non-permanent member that went to the United Nations Security Council.
05:47If you could explain how this entire system really works and what really happened.
05:51So, Geetha, usually the United Nations Security Council is functional around the year.
06:03What they usually do is they meet informally in what they call close consultations virtually every day.
06:12And if they have something of a nature which is ready to be formalized,
06:17they then meet in a formal session on the horseshoe table.
06:22Otherwise, they meet in the antechamber.
06:24However, it's a small room.
06:26It's not the main security council room.
06:30There, they meet informally.
06:33So, there is no record kept for everybody to know who said what.
06:38Also, the number of people who meet there is very limited
06:42because each delegation has maybe two people there, etc.
06:45It's a small place where they meet, consider things informally.
06:50And if they have something to offer in a more formal sense,
06:54they then either have it as part of a formal meeting
06:57or the president of the Security Council after the discussion comes out
07:03and in an oral statement to the press indicates that this was the outcome of the discussion.
07:11Now, Pakistan, as you know, always tries to grandstand at multilateral forums.
07:20The idea is to try and use these fora as forums of not serious diplomacy, but public diplomacy.
07:32And that's primarily geared towards their domestic audience.
07:36So, the events of the last few days seem to have panned out that Pakistan,
07:45thinking that it's a member of the Security Council, a non-permanent member for two years,
07:50could try and get an outcome, perhaps at a very low level,
07:56through the informal consultation process, asked for a meeting.
08:00Generally, these meetings, nobody refuses because every member has a right
08:04to bring to the table its concerns about itself or about any other country.
08:09So, the meeting was scheduled for yesterday evening, New York time.
08:14What usually happens in such a meeting is that the chair, in this case it was Greece,
08:21asks whoever wants to raise a subject, raise it,
08:26and then goes around the table with everybody else indicating what their views are
08:31and whether they would be supportive of an outcome from this meeting or not.
08:37And that's what happened.
08:38Pakistan is on record of having said that it will raise the nuclear bogey,
08:42it will raise issues of the Indus Water Treaty,
08:46as well as this talk about false flag, etc., etc.
08:53And they raised that yesterday.
08:55What followed was a deafening silence from the collectivity of the Security Council.
09:01And that's a clear signal that Pakistan did not find any takers for its view.
09:11There ended the meeting.
09:12That ends the issue for now.
09:14Right.
09:16Right.
09:16We have, Ambassador Agbaruddin, seen the modus operandi of Pakistan in the past.
09:21They would hit out at military officials, military camps, and military troops.
09:28But this time around, the entire play is very different.
09:31You have been serving when the Pulwama attack happened, Uri happened,
09:36but this time around they've targeted tourists.
09:39And there was a religious angle to it also where they asked the religion before shooting the tourists down.
09:45In such a scenario, what do you see and how do you see this entire issue really play out?
09:52And Pakistan being isolated this time around,
09:55unlike the kind of support Pakistan used to get in the past from its allies.
09:59So you're right, this was a very egregious and dastardly act, not seen in recent years,
10:11trying to bifurcate individuals on the basis of their community, etc.
10:16Clearly aimed at creating dissension within India.
10:20Having said that, you've seen that everybody is critical and condemns the act.
10:28The issue is only what next to do.
10:31So there is a global consensus.
10:34And that came out even in the Security Council, a statement condemning the act.
10:39While the statement is not to a full satisfaction,
10:43but that there is a condemnation by members of the UN Security Council
10:48and other members of the global community, there is no doubt about.
10:52The challenge comes in translating that into further action.
10:56And that's where a sub-optimal situation will never be able to fulfill our needs.
11:01Even if Pakistan is isolated on this,
11:04the challenge is how do you take the next step in ensuring that such acts go beyond condemnation.
11:16At the present stage, given the system of global governance we have,
11:22let's not expect more from that thing.
11:26We are grateful that people have supported us.
11:29Anything else that has to be done will have to be done by India in self-defense.
11:35There are, under international law, norms which allow, including through the UN Charter,
11:40Article 51, which says in self-defense, you can take action.
11:46And perhaps that's what is being looked at at our leadership right now,
11:51rather than seeking a global effort at isolation, etc.
11:56Because these are uncertain times, the costs and benefits of those efforts are difficult to assess.
12:06So it's now increasingly a world where states have to be their own decision makers
12:14and take appropriate action as they feel.
12:17Right.
12:18Ambassador Buruddin, the fact is that Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the UNSC this time around.
12:25But even in the past, when they were not in the room, there was one country that actually always supported it.
12:32This time around, that country is silent.
12:34And we've seen that they've spoken in the past and ensured that there's no action that takes place against Rahul Pindi.
12:42And I say Rahul Pindi, not Islamabad, and that is China.
12:45But this kind of support that we see from China coming in for Pakistan, irrespective of what Pakistan is doing or has done,
12:53what's your reading on how that has changed or could change geopolitics, not just of the region, but also of the world?
13:01So let's start by acknowledging that multilateral platforms are playgrounds of geopolitics
13:10because you have a conglomeration of 190 plus states and those who have common interests converge.
13:19Having said that, there are ways to handle these things,
13:25but there are ways which demand an enormous amount of effort.
13:31So why, as you said, China always comes out in support of Pakistan.
13:36But there have been cases, for example,
13:39when we were able to get the designation of Masud Azhar as a global terrorist.
13:45China, for several years, blocked us.
13:49For several years, vetoed proposals in that regard.
13:53But there were pathways that were available to us in the final instance,
13:59where we raised the bar so high that even China found it difficult to pay the price of that support.
14:07So states can raise the bar, but you can't do it on every occasion.
14:16Those will be rare occasions where you make it so difficult for even a permanent member
14:22to not be able to support its favored country.
14:30That happened once.
14:32It can happen again.
14:33But right now, given the divergences in the global order,
14:39it may be more difficult than what it was possible before.
14:45Ambassador Sayed Adhpuruddin, thank you so much for joining us here on the network.
14:49We'll maybe keep coming back to you for more on the perspective
14:53as to how India should take on Pakistan, if not militarily, diplomatically, for sure.
14:58Now, as India and Pakistan flex their muscle across the border,
15:05the world is hoping that the two nuclear powers will stop short of an outright war.
15:10However, if the conflict were to escalate further, the price of a war may be too high for Pakistan.
15:16While the establishment in Islamabad, or Raul Pindi particularly, is flexing muscles,
15:22testing missiles, analysts at Moody's remind them that the exchequer doesn't have the money for a war with India.
15:30Economy will be the biggest collateral damage in a war for both the countries.
15:35One of the lifelines of Pakistan is already on the brink.
15:43The mighty Chennav is running dry after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty
15:47and shut these loose gates of several dams.
15:51And Pakistan is already crying hoarse.
15:55Warning of a severe impact on the sowing of both the early and late Kharif crops.
16:00This could just be the beginning of the economic meltdown Pakistan is likely to face
16:06in the aftermath of the Pehalgam terror attack.
16:12India and Pakistan share history.
16:15Yet, when it comes to economic strength, the contrast is massive.
16:22As tensions between the two neighbours escalate,
16:25it is Pakistan which finds itself cornered.
16:27In contrast, Pakistan's economy is valued at around $375 billion,
16:45making India's economy over 11 times larger than Pakistan's.
16:50India maintains a steady growth rate of 6.4%
16:54with inflation at a manageable 3.34%.
16:57Pakistan, however, is recovering from a contraction,
17:01posting a modest 2.5% growth
17:04while grappling with inflation rates which hit 30% last year.
17:09Foreign reserves further highlight the disparity.
17:13India's reserves are robust,
17:15while Pakistan's have fluctuated,
17:17dipping to $4.1 billion in June 2023
17:20before recovering to $15 billion in April.
17:25Pakistan's external debt
17:26stands at $131 billion
17:29with significant obligations to China,
17:32the IMF and other creditors.
17:35The debt is a whopping 35% of its GDP.
17:40Pakistan's economy is heavily reliant on foreign aid and remittances.
17:44The IMF's $7 billion dollar bailout is crucial for its financial stability.
17:51The multilateral body is to meet on the 9th of May
17:54to review loans to Pakistan
17:55and approve a $1.3 billion installment to Pakistan,
18:01a step being opposed by India.
18:03Any geopolitical instability could jeopardise these lifelines,
18:08amplifying economic vulnerabilities.
18:12India's suspension of trade, meanwhile,
18:14will not hit Islamabad directly.
18:17Pakistan's exports to India
18:19in the first 10 months of financial year 2025
18:22were just $420,000.
18:25It was in direct exports
18:27through intermediary nations which mattered.
18:30Products including dry fruits and chemicals
18:32valued at $500 million.
18:34This route stands blocked as well.
18:39A recent report by Moody's
18:41put things in perspective.
18:44Sustained escalation intentions with India
18:46will hamper Pakistan's growth
18:48and set back its progress
18:49in achieving macroeconomic stability,
18:52is what the report said.
18:54It added that a persistent increase in tensions
18:57could also impair Pakistan's access
18:59to external financing
19:00and pressure its foreign exchange reserves.
19:05Given these economic realities,
19:07Pakistan faces significant challenges
19:09in sustaining any prolonged conflict.
19:13Its economic vulnerabilities,
19:15dependence on foreign aid
19:16and infrastructural constraints
19:18suggest that war is not a feasible option
19:21without severe repercussions.
19:23A Canadian Prime Minister,
19:31Mark Carney,
19:32won the job with a promise
19:33to confront the increased aggression
19:35shown by the U.S. President,
19:37President Donald Trump.
19:39Canada's new Prime Minister,
19:40Mark Carney,
19:41arrived at the White House
19:42on Tuesday
19:43for a high-stakes meeting
19:44with President Donald Trump.
19:46Trump has shattered
19:47a decades-old alliance
19:49by saying
19:50he wants to make Canada
19:51the 51st state
19:53of the United States of America
19:55and levied steep tariffs
19:57against an essential partner
19:59in the manufacturing of autos
20:00and supply of oil,
20:02electricity and other goods.
20:04The outrage provoked by Trump
20:06enabled Carney's Liberal Party
20:07to score a stunning comeback victory
20:10as the ongoing trade war
20:11and attacks on Canadian sovereignty
20:13have outraged voters.
20:15His party was losing by a lot.
20:19With that, it's a wrap
20:20on this edition of World Today.
20:21But we leave you
20:23with this dazzling,
20:25dapper looks
20:26Indian men donned
20:28at the Met Gala.
20:30The King Khan
20:31officially arrived
20:32at Met Gala
20:33and he chose
20:34the grandest stage
20:36in global fashion
20:37to make his move.
20:39With his signature charm,
20:40unbeatable aura
20:41and a style statement
20:43that screamed royalty,
20:45Shah Rukh Khan
20:46made his debut
20:47at Met Gala 2025.
20:50Dressed in an all-black
20:51custom ensemble
20:52by Indian designer
20:53Sabi Saatchi,
20:54King Khan embraced
20:55the event's prestige
20:57with a unique blend
20:58of cultural heritage
20:59and personal symbolism.
21:01Another Indian celebrity,
21:03Diljeet Dasanj,
21:04made a memorable debut
21:05at Met Gala 2025
21:07wearing a custom
21:09white Sikh royal ensemble
21:11by designer Prabhal Gurung.
21:13His look,
21:14complete with a turban
21:15and ceremonial sword,
21:17paid tribute
21:17to his Punjabi heritage.
21:19Both of them
21:20looked truly dazzling
21:22and ruled
21:23the Met Gala for India.
21:25With that,
21:26it's a wrap.
21:27Goodbye
21:27and take care.
21:43See you next time.
21:44I haven't gone too.
21:45The Met Gala
21:45has been between
21:46and to your
21:48Th vaccinations
21:49on Tuesday...
21:55...
21:56...
21:57Him
22:00the
22:03white
22:03Hulk
22:04pouvoir
22:05happun