Pakistan backs Syrian-led transitional justice, rejects outside solutions

Pakistan has urged that any transitional justice process in Syria remain firmly in Syrian hands, saying outside actors can support the effort but should not shape it from the outside. The stance was set out by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, during an Arria-Formula meeting on transitional justice and missing persons in Syria. In remarks reported from the meeting, Ahmad said lasting peace and stability in Syria will depend on national ownership, reconciliation and inclusive institutions. He stressed that efforts to deal with the legacy of years of conflict must respect Syria’s sovereignty, with international involvement limited to a complementary role. Pakistan also welcomed steps already taken by the Syrian government, including the creation of a National Commission for Transitional Justice and a National Commission for Missing Persons, along with work on a draft law on transitional justice. Those moves, Islamabad said, are part of a process that should be led inside the country rather than imposed from abroad. The issue of transitional justice in Syria remains tied to several unresolved questions that have shadowed the conflict for years: how to address past grievances, how to account for alleged abuses, how to deal with the fate of missing people and how to rebuild trust across communities. Pakistan’s message at the UN placed those challenges within a broader argument that reconciliation cannot be durable unless Syrians themselves drive the process. Ambassador Ahmad said transitional justice is important not only for accountability, but also for the wider task of repairing social damage after conflict. He argued that such a process can help restore trust, strengthen social cohesion and respond to the expectations of victims and families affected by the war. The remarks fit into a wider international debate over Syria’s political transition and reconstruction. Many countries and humanitarian actors continue to push for answers on detention, disappearances and accountability, while also trying to avoid steps that could deepen division or undermine fragile institutions. Pakistan’s position suggests support for those goals, but only if they are anchored in Syrian sovereignty. What remains unclear is how far the Syrian government’s newly announced bodies will be able to operate in practice, and whether they will have the independence, reach and credibility needed to satisfy victims and international observers. The feed does not provide details on timelines, membership, or the draft law’s contents. For now, Pakistan’s intervention signals backing for a process that blends domestic responsibility with international support, rather than one directed by external powers. In a conflict as politically sensitive as Syria’s, that distinction is likely to remain central to negotiations over justice, accountability and eventual recovery.

Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017641/pakistan-opposes-externally-imposed-solutions-for-syria