Rabat – Pakistan’s decision to abstain from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) vote on Western Sahara on Friday has drawn surprise, and even disappointment, among observers, given the country’s traditionally strong friendship with Morocco.
Adopted with eleven votes in favor and no opposition, the resolution places Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan at the center of the political process for resolving the Sahara dispute. Only three countries, including Pakistan, China, and Russia, abstained.
The vote marks a historic diplomatic success for Rabat, securing broad international backing for a proposal widely regarded as a realistic and durable solution. The resolution was supported by the US, the UK, and France, reaffirming the centrality of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the foundation for a political settlement. For many, Pakistan’s choice to remain on the sidelines stood out as both unexpected and uncharacteristic.
Explaining the decision during the Council meeting, Pakistan’s representative at the US said the abstention reflected the country’s “principled and long-standing position” on the question of Western Sahara, rooted in past Security Council resolutions.
He expressed concern that the new text introduced “fundamental changes” compared to previous iterations and did not fully reflect the principle of self-determination. Pakistan, he added, supported “a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution” reached through “inclusive” negotiations “without preconditions.”
Echoes of Algeria and the Polisario’s rhetoric
While the statement emphasized commitment to international law and self-determination, many observers noted that Pakistan’s explanation echoed language historically associated with Algeria and the Polisario Front, who continue to reject Morocco’s autonomy proposal.
Islamabad’s abstention may have been influenced by its diplomatic relationships in the region, including close ties with Algeria and its longstanding support for self-determination causes, such as in Kashmir.
Still, Pakistan’s decision has raised questions about consistency, not only because it chose to abstain, but also because of the language it used during the session. While Islamabad described its stance as “principled,” its repeated emphasis on “self-determination” and criticism of what it called the resolution’s “imbalance” gave the impression of leaning closer to Algeria’s and the Polisario Front’s rhetoric.
Its statement went beyond neutrality, sounding unexpectedly cautious, even sympathetic, toward narratives that challenge Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Morocco and Pakistan have long maintained cordial relations, marked by mutual support on territorial integrity and cooperation across various sectors. Yet Islamabad’s abstention comes at a moment when the vast majority of the Council, including key global powers, endorsed the Moroccan autonomy plan as the only serious, credible, and realistic framework for a lasting resolution of the Western Sahara question.
Despite its abstention, Pakistan did not oppose the resolution and acknowledged “the continued efforts and leadership of the United States” in advancing the process. Yet its reluctance to decisively join the deepening momentum around Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces was widely seen as a missed opportunity to reaffirm its friendship with Rabat and to stand with the international consensus that the autonomy initiative offers the most viable path forward.
