United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged India to observe maximum restraint and avoid a military confrontation with Pakistan.
In his remarks to journalists at the UN headquarters in New York, the secretary-general said, ‘’Tensions between India and Pakistan are at their highest in years.’’
He lauded the services of both India and Pakistan for the work of the United Nations, including UN peacekeeping missions and said: ‘’It pains me to see the relations reaching a boiling point.’’
He condemned the Pahalgam attack that took the lives of 26 tourists on April 22 and extended his condolences to the families of the victims. However, he warned India against starting any military conflict with Pakistan.
‘’Targeting civilians is unacceptable, and those responsible must be brought to justice through credible, lawful means. It is also essential, especially at this critical hour, to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control. Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink.’’
The secretary-general said he is reaching out to both countries and making them realise that, ‘’Make no mistake, the military solution is no solution.’’
‘’And I offer my good offices to both governments in the service of peace. The United Nations stands ready to support any initiative that promotes de-escalation, diplomacy and the renewed commitment to peace.’’
Pakistan’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar met Secretary General last week as Islamabad sought a UN Security Council meeting.
Later talking to UN media, Asif Iftikhar said, ‘‘It is evident that there was an incident, but now what has evolved in terms of the situation, which is a real threat to regional and international peace and security, and we believe that the UNSC, in fact, has the mandate, it would be very legitimate for any member of the Council, including Pakistan, to request a meeting.”
