In setback for Pakistan, UN supports India

In a major setback for Pakistan, UN chief’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Wednesday said that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is concerned over any potential escalation between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and he wants both the countries to resolve the issue through mutual dialogue. 

Dujarric’s statement is a big win for India because Islamabad has been trying to internationalise the issue, while the Indian government has maintained that Kashmir is India’s internal matter and there is no need for a third-party mediation.

Addressing a press conference, UN chief’s spokesperson mentioned that UN’s position on mediation has always remained the same, and though the UN Secretary‑General is in touch with both sides, he believes that Kashmir is an issue between India and Pakistan. 

It is to be noted that UN chief Guterres met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France, in August. He has also spoken to Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and on Monday, Guterres met with the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, on her request over the Kashmir issue. 

According to Dujarric, the message of UN chief to all these leaders has been the same: That he wants India and Pakistan to resolve the issue through dialogue. 

Replying to a question on whether the UN chief was planning to mediate on Kashmir during the UN General Assembly session later this month, which would be attended by both PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, Dujarric said that the position of UN on position of mediation has always remained the same.

Zee Media Newsroom