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UN chief asks Pak, India to take immediate steps to defuse tensions

UN chief asks Pak, India to take immediate steps to defuse tensions
February 20, 2019
NEW YORK (92 News) – UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged India and Pakistan to take immediate steps to defuse tensions. According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, the UN secretary general also offered to help broker a solution if both sides agree to UN mediation. “We are deeply concerned at the escalating tension between the two countries,” he said. Antonio Guterres stressed the importance of both the sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalation. Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Commission has expressed grave concern over escalating tension between Pakistan and India. In a statement in Geneva, the spokesperson for the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville said, “We hope escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours will not add further to the insecurity in the region.” He said that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is also concerned by reports from India that some elements are using the Pulwama attack as justification for threats and potential acts of violence targeting Kashmiri and Muslim communities living in different parts of India.
FM calls UN chief to de-escalate current tensions after Pulwama attack
A day earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked the UN chief to play his role for the de-escalation of current tensions which were caused by Indian government’s rhetoric against Pakistan over Pulwama attack. The minister said that he had written a letter to the UN chief, requesting him to play his role for the “de-escalation” of current tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack. FM Qureshi said in his letter he had raised concerns over the negative tactics used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government ahead of the elections in India. He said he had cautioned the secretary-general about India’s efforts. The FM said that the UN Chief has been requested to play his part for the de-escalation of current tensions created by irresponsible attitude of the Indian government after the Pulwama attack. He also said Pakistan has given a very measured and responsible response to the baseless accusations of India. Weeks before the attack in Indian-held Jammu Kashmir, the minister said, the Pakistan Foreign Office had informed the envoys of P5 countries that Islamabad feared that India would create a Pakistan-bashing atmosphere ahead of its elections and could resort to some misadventure in order to galvanise the extremist Hindu vote. The minister asked India to present actionable evidence of involvement of Pakistan-based groups in the Pulwama attack, if it had any, and assured that Pakistan would honestly investigate the same. Tensions between India and Pakistan are once again flared up following last week’s militant attack in Pulwama.