Pakistan has reiterated its longstanding position that veto power in the UN Security Council (UNSC) should be abolished or severely curtailed, and firmly rejected any expansion of permanent membership. Speaking at the Intergovernmental Negotiations on UNSC reform, Pakistan's UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad argued that the veto — currently held by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States — fuels institutional paralysis and runs counter to principles of democracy and accountability. Ahmad proposed expanding the number of elected, non-permanent seats as a practical means of increasing the political cost of casting a veto, summarising Pakistan's stance with the phrase: "If we want reform for all, there should be privilege for none."