Pakistan seeks to ease Security Council tension fears

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 22 (AFP): Pakistan emerged triumphant Friday from one of the most hotly contested UN Security Council elections in years and played down fears of tensions with the United States and rival India on the world body. Pakistan, Morocco, Guatemala and Togo all won two-year terms on the 15 member council. Nine rounds of voting were held for a seat for Eastern Europe, but neither Azerbaijan nor Slovenia could get the required two-thirds majority. The new countries will replace Bosnia, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria on the council from January 1. The presence of India and Pakistan together is startling because of their rivalry as nuclear powers who have fought three wars since 1947. Pakistan has also been warned by the United States, one of the five permanent council members, about militant groups operating from Pakistani territory. Morocco's victory is sensitive because it is not a member of the African Union and due to the deadlock over the disputed territory of Western Sahara which it annexed in 1976. Pakistan is expected to side with China, Brazil, South Africa and India in opposing any efforts by the United States and its allies to sanction Syria or Iran. Diplomats said India, which will remain on the council through 2012, and Pakistan could work with each other and Pakistan's UN envoy, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, played down fears of friction. The two have already served together on the UN's most powerful body. Haroon said Pakistan would fight for the "underdogs" and added: "Hopefully we will be working with all the other members of the Security Council, especially India." He said he had a good working relationship with India's UN envoy, Hardeep Singh Puri. "You have seen that the usual tendencies have not erupted between us and that is a good factor," he said.