UNITED NATIONS: Amid the sudden upsurge in Indian troops’ bombardment across the Line of Control (LoC), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced deep concerns over the worsening situation in the disputed region and urged India and Pakistan to work towards sustainable peace.
A statement issued by the spokesman for the UN secretary-general said that Ban Ki-moon was deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation along the LoC. The statement came a day after Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, lodged a protest against the latest round of Indian attacks that led to the martyrdom of several Pakistani troops and civilians.
The statement called for both parties to prioritise the restoration of calm and stability in order to prevent any further escalation and loss of life.
“The secretary-general trusts that Islamabad and New Delhi can find common ground and work towards a durable peace,” the UN statement said. It added that UN stands by the people of the region.
A press release issued on Wednesday by the Pakistan Mission to the UN said that during Lodhi’s meeting with Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, she drew attention to the abhorrent act by Indian troops of targeting a passenger bus and an ambulance trying to evacuate the injured. She termed this attack a breach of the most fundamental legal and humanitarian laws.
Ambassador Lodhi had told UN officials that escalating tensions on the LoC were a deliberate attempt by India to divert the attention of the international community from the gross human right violations being committed by Indian forces in IHK. In recent months, statements by the UN secretary general had repeatedly called for de-escalation of tensions between Pakistan and India but New Delhi had ignored this and continued to act with impunity in IHK.
The United Nations has long maintained an institutional presence in the disputed territory between India and Pakistan. According to the UN Security Council mandate given in resolution 307 of 1971, the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) observed and reported on ceasefire violations along LoC and the Working Boundary between the archrivals, as well as reported developments that could lead to ceasefire violations.
