UNMOGIP aware of ceasefire violations; Delhi, Islamabad should exercise restraint
Concerned over the tensions across the LoC, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s top aide has asked India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and resolve their differences peacefully.
In the wake of the ‘surgical strikes’ conducted by India across the LoC, Ban’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN is obviously following this situation with great concern relating to the increase of tensions across the Line of Control.
“The UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan, UNMOGIP, is aware of the ceasefire violations and right now is liaising with the concerned authorities to obtain further information,” he told reporters yesterday.
He said the United Nations calls on the governments of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and encourages them to continue their effort to resolve their differences peacefully and through dialogue.
India yesterday said its special forces conducted surgical strikes on militant launch pads across LoC causing heavy casualties on militants and their supporters. Pakistan, however, denied the charge saying Indian forces resorted to cross-border firing during which two of its soldiers were killed.
When asked about the SAARC summit, which was slated to be held in Islamabad in November, Dujarric said he “had not seen the reports of the cancellation of the SAARC summit.”
The UN has long maintained an institutional presence in the contested area between India and Pakistan.
According to the Security Council mandate given in resolution 307 of 1971, the UNMOGIP observes and reports on
violations along and across the LoC and the working boundary between the two neighbours in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as reports developments that could lead to ceasefire violations.
India has however always maintained that UNMOGIP has “outlived its relevance” and has “no role to play whatsoever”.
Internationalizing the Kashmir issue, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised the matter with almost every world leader he held bilateral talks with on the sidelines of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly. (PTI)
