United Nations: Pakistan was on Friday elected to the powerful UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year-term beginning on January 1, 2012, putting it in the club of 10 nations which currently includes India.
Pakistan won 129 votes in the 193 member General Assembly. Pakistan was vying for the seat against Kyrgyzstan in the Asia pacific category. There were no abstention. To win a seat on the UN Security Council, a country must receive the support of at least 129 members.
Pakistan was one of the nine countries vying for five non-permanent seats on the Security Council that will fall vacant on December 31, 2011.
India congratulated Pakistan on winning a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council, saying it looks forward to working with its neighbour on a range of global issues.
“We warmly welcome and congratulate Pakistan’s election to the Security Council,” India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Manjeev Singh Puri said. (PTI)