Reaffirming its full support to Libya, Pakistan has called on all Libyan armed groups to lay down arms and resolve their differences through democratic means in an effort to stabilise the North African country. "Libya continues to face serious challenges in the consolidation of its new democratic system," Ambassador Masood Khan said after the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, briefed the UN Security Council on the Libyan situation.
During the briefing, Bensouda called for devising a comprehensive strategy to address the serious crimes committed in Libya and for the international community to help close the impunity gap.
In his remarks, the Pakistani ambassador called for "thorough and impartial" trials of alleged perpetrators during the 2011 pro-democracy uprising in Libya, regardless of which side committed the crimes.
"The best way for the international community to assist Libya ... is to help it strengthen the capacity of Libyan institution," he said. "Both justice and security institutions need to be supported for enhancing their capacity and effectiveness.
Masood Khan also encouraged Nato to fully cooperate with the Court as well as Libya's national efforts to investigate the civilian casualties during the conflict. "The formation of a democratically elected government is leading to positive results in Libya. We welcome the adoption of Libya's new Transitional Justice Law. We hope that this law would be used to ensure due process for all detainees.
"The country has now entered the important phase of implementation of transition laws. This is critical for a stable and prosperous Libya. "