United Nations: Firmly rejecting Pakistan's argument that expansion of the Security Council should be only in the non-permanent category, India has asserted that the world body's credibility would be further eroded unless there is an increase in the number of permanent members.

"Any attempt to limit expansion in the category of non-permanent members alone would not introduce the required representativeness in the Council's composition," Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said.

Nor would the creation of new quasi-permanent seats bring about equitable representation or enhance its legitimacy, effectiveness or representativeness, Ahamed told the 191-member United Nations General Assembly yesterday (Oct 12, 2004).

Such partial and piecemeal attempts would only serve to "conserve" the present structure of the Council and in effect, erode its credibility even further, he said.

"Instead of correcting, they would exacerbate current shortcomings in the Council's structure," he warned.

Pakistan's delegate to UN, Akram Zaki, on Monday (Oct 11, 2004) had warned against rushing through the enlargement of the UN Security Council.

The ambitions of the few must not drive the reform process in the world body, Zaki had said.