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New York, United States of America (USA)
On August 5, 2019, India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, and divided the state into two federal territories. After that, relations between the two countries took a turn for the worse.
Farhan-ul-Haq said the United Nations emphasized the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the United Nations Charter and upheld the 1972 Shimla Agreement that rejected third-party mediation
Recalling the 1972 Shimla Agreement between India and Pakistan, which rejected any third-party mediation, Spokesperson of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the final settlement of the Kashmir issue should be in accordance with the United Nations Charter and with full respect Human rights, achieved through peaceful means.
“Our position on Kashmir remains unchanged,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the secretary-general, told a daily press briefing on Wednesday. India has repeatedly told Pakistan that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “are, are and will remain” an integral part of the country.
On August 5, 2019, India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, and divided the state into two federal territories. Relations between the two countries took a turn for the worse. The UN Secretary-General’s stance on Kashmir and the situation in the region five years after the abrogation of Article 370.
Haque said the final solution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue “should be achieved through peaceful means in accordance with the United Nations Charter and with full respect for human rights.” He added that the United Nations' position is governed by the United Nations Charter and applicable Security Council resolutions.
“The Secretary-General also recalled the 1972 Bilateral Relations Agreement between India and Pakistan, also known as the Simla Agreement,” he said. The Shimla Accord, signed in 1972 by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and then-Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was a bilateral agreement between the two countries that rejected any third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue. .
The 1972 Simla Agreement stipulated that differences between the parties should be resolved through peaceful means and bilateral negotiations. India has repeatedly stated that it hopes to establish normal good-neighborly relations with Pakistan in an environment free from terror, hostility and violence.
(This report has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from United News Agency-PTI)
