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UN Chief visits Islamabad; appeals for India-Pakistan de-escalation

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during his four-day Pak visit
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during his four-day Pak visit

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres conveys concerns on the Kashmir situation and offers to hold mediation; India declines to welcome any third-party intervention in “its internal matter”.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will hold talks with the Pakistani leaders during his four-day visit to Islamabad. Arriving on Sunday, the UN Chief addressed the issue of Kashmir and offered to mediate between the two nations, to stabilise peace in the region.

In his press conference, the UN Chief expressed “deep concerns” over the state of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir and the LOC and the rising tensions between India and Pakistan. He asserted that the Kashmir issue should be resolved based on the UN resolutions and appealed for “maximum restraint” on both sides.

Pakistan has doubled its efforts to push the issue of Kashmir in the UN since India abrogated the article providing special status and statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Guterres has urged both the nations to hold ceasefire and resolve their issues through “dialogue and diplomacy” in order to maintain peace and regional stability.

India declines any third party mediation on Kashmir

India has maintained that its position on Kashmir remains unchanged. India has declined to welcome any third-party intervention on a subject which is “its internal matter” and “under its constitutional space”.

India has alleged Pakistan for illegally housing terror groups, fostering infiltration of terrorists across its borders to India, and its forceful occupation along the regions of the Line of Control.

New Delhi hopes that the UN Chief will call for Islamabad to put an end to the cross-border terrorism that has threatened the very fundamental right of life in Jammu and Kashmir.