Islamabad, Oct 29 (IANS): Pakistan Saturday said India played a major role in supporting its successful bid to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

"Many of the countries that Pakistan considered friends were no longer friends of the country. But India supported us in becoming a non-permanent member of the 15-member Security Council and played a major role," Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon was quoted as saying by Geo News.

Pakistan -- which was challenged by Kyrgyzstan -- was backed by 129 of the 193 member states in the General Assembly. Kyrgyzstan secured 55 votes. Pakistan will Jan 1 next year replace Lebanon, which currently occupies the Asian seat, for a two-year term.

"I think we should not be discouraged by the reaction by some of the nations in the UN because I can say the world wants Pakistan to play a positive role in the global scenario," Haroon said.

The UN Security Council has five veto-holding permanent members -- the US, Britain, France, Russia and China -- and 10 temporary-elected members without veto power.