United Nations: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following with ‘deep concern’ the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. He has called on both sides to urgently take steps for a ‘meaningful mutual engagement’.
In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack by the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan. In retaliation India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot.
The UN chief is ‘obviously, following the situation as we see it even today with deep concern, and his… the United Nations’ message, both publicly and privately, to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful, mutual engagement and meet their responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region’, Guterres’ spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters Wednesday.
Asked if Guterres spoke to the leaders of India and Pakistan following another day of escalating tension and plans to get involved to try and mediate de-escalation, Dujarric said Guterres had received a call Tuesday from Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. She also added that there have been contacts at various levels with all sides.
He said that ‘as always’, the Secretary-General’s good offices are always ‘available should both or all parties, depending on the situation, agree to do that’.
Dujarric said contacts have been made at various levels between the UN and India and Pakistan but did not give further details as to which officials in India the contacts have been made with.
“Discussions are being held at different levels with different parties to make sure that we have… we get a full picture of what is going on and the message coming out of those discussions is on the need for both countries to do whatever they can to de-escalate the situation,” the spokesperson informed.
PTI