Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN. | Photo credit: IANS
Key points
- When asked by a Pakistani journalist during a press conference how the UN chief felt about the border problems between the two Valley countries, Guterres subtly sidestepped the question.
- He referred to his comments last year, saying that “the final status of Jammu and Kashmir will be resolved by peaceful means.”
United Nations: At a time when border issues are the most pressing issues facing India on both fronts, with both Pakistan and China, the United Nations on Wednesday called for a “positive” resolution to the matter.
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, urged India and Pakistan to move in a positive direction to resolve differences regarding the border issue along the Line of Control.
When asked by a Pakistani journalist during a press conference how the UN chief felt about the border problems between the two Valley countries, Guterres subtly sidestepped the question, referring to his comments from last year, saying: “It is absolutely essential. to move forward in a positive way as I expressed it then and I maintain it today ”.
Last year, when India rescinded its special constitutional status, Guterres referred to the 1972 Simla Agreement, saying that the treaty “states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir must be resolved by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations “.
“The position of the United Nations in this region is governed by the Charter of the United Nations and applicable Security Council resolutions,” he had said, expressing concern over alleged reports of movement restrictions “on the Indian side” that “They could exacerbate the human rights situation in the region.”
Referring to that comment, he said Wednesday that he “will make the exact same statement that I made at that time last year in August,” the news agency. IANS reported.
The Simla Agreement
The Simla Agreement between former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and then-Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto states that disputes between the two countries must be resolved bilaterally and without the involvement of third parties.
According to Resolution 47 adopted on April 21, 1948, the Pakistani government must “ensure the withdrawal from the state of Jammu and Kashmir of Pakistani tribesmen and citizens who do not normally reside there and who have entered the state with the purpose of fighting and to prevent any intrusion into the State by such elements and any provision of material aid to those who fight in the State.
