UN chief invokes Shimla Agreement, calls for 'maximum restraint' on Kashmir

UN chief invokes Shimla Agreement, calls for 'maximum restraint' on Kashmir

The Secretary-General's remarks came after India on Monday revoked Article 370 to withdraw the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged India and Pakistan to exercise "maximum restraint" and refrain from taking steps that could affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir, as he highlighted the Shimla Agreement which rejects any third-party mediation on the issue.

The Secretary-General's remarks came after India on Monday revoked Article 370 to withdraw the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Pakistan termed the Indian action as "unilateral and illegal", and said it will take the matter to the UN Security Council.

"The Secretary-General has been following the situation in Jammu and Kashmir with concern and makes an appeal for maximum restraint," Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said here.

RELATED NEWS
Gold futures rise on fresh bets
Residential colonies use apps to  deliver community services
Alembic Pharma gets tentative nod from USFDA for ophthalmic solution
Dujarric specifically said that the Secretary-General "also recalls the 1972 Agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, also known as the Shimla Agreement, which states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means" in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

The Secretary General did not offer his good offices nor did he make any offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir.

Instead, he referred to the Shimla Agreement, which is a bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan and rejects any third-party mediation in the issue.

Guterres also called "on all parties to refrain from taking steps" that could affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the position of the United Nations on the region was governed by the Charter of the United Nations and is applicable to Security Council resolutions.

When asked to be more specific about reference to the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir in the statement, Dujarric said "I'm not going to go into any more specifics of the statement which also refers to our concern" about reports of restrictions in Kashmir in India.

"So I'll refer you to the statement," he said.

Dujarric reiterated that Guterres and the UN Secretariat were following the situation "very closely".

He said there had been contacts from the UN Secretariat both with the Indian and Pakistani authorities and with the Permanent Missions of India and Pakistan.

He said there is no plan for the Secretary-General to brief the Security Council on Kashmir.

Reacting to India's move, Pakistan expelled the Indian envoy and downgraded its diplomatic ties with New Delhi.

India has said that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and the issue was strictly internal to the country.

Follow us:

[jaysurati]

When porkisatn declared Gilgit Balistan as 5th province of pakistan , how come no one intervine, kya Gilgit Balistan uske bapaka he . and how dare chinese start building roads thru Gilgit Balistan Even India opject not build anything in the disputed area

[unb]

Modi wants second Gujarat as jammu and Kashmir

[rajendrarathor]

We are not going back United nations understand india not Sudan or Somalia

[junaidmunir]

if kashmir is of india....then what is shimla agreement....???? that it is a bilateral issue....

[vyasrakesh]

Kasmir is a part of the India..🇮🇳..
It's consider in India act.
So don't interfieact

[snowmoon]

Shimla agreement still stands for kashmiris rights with no abbrogation of the article for human rights.UN seem to not help the agreement of kashmiris right of freedom..and deliberatly helping the genocide of kashmiris...not taking the conflict seriously..So later on if 2 countriea are at war..they shouldnt come up with int laws which they are violating by being silent.

[yluckylucky]

U N need to take up steps in the region

[djx]

The UN has it wrong, human rights violations were being committed due to laws in J&K. Article 370 helps establish human rights that rest of India has access to! Please do your homework UN! Just read the laws in Kashmir constitution that subverted human rights and democracy- that all goes away with removal of parts of 370!
NATO with your blessings bombs nations to ensure democracy and India has just changed a law! You should be applauding this move that furthers human rights(I wish u try and do your homework)

Also invoking Simla agreement shows that UN doesn’t understand what 370 is which is shocking in itself.