The UN Secretary-General extends his diplomatic services to alleviate tensions between Pakistan and India.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres extended his mediation efforts to alleviate tensions between Pakistan and India following last week’s assault in Indian-occupied Kashmir, during telephone conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday, according to his spokesman.
“He offered his Good Offices to support de-escalation efforts,” Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the regular noon briefing in New York, stressing that a confrontation between the two South Asian neighbours would be “catastrophic” for those two countries and for the world.
The Secretary-General repeated his firm condemnation of the terrorist attack on 22 April near Pahalgam, a tourist destination, which resulted in 26 reported fatalities.
Following the attack, India declared a series of measures against Pakistan, which encompass the unilateral suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, the closure of border crossings between the two nations, the expulsion of diplomats, and a directive for certain Pakistani visa holders to depart within 48 hours.
Pakistan, which categorically refuted its involvement in the incident, responded by immediately suspending all visas granted to Indian people under an exemption scheme, removing several Indian ambassadors, and restricting its airspace to Indian flights.
On Tuesday, Guterres emphasized the necessity of seeking justice and accountability for these assaults through legal avenues.
