UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations Sunday appealed to India and Pakistanto exercise “maximum restraint” amid escalating tensions between the twocountries along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region.

“The UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan observed and reportedan increase in military activity at the Line of Control in recent days,”the UN Secretary-General’s Spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in astatement e-mailed to APP UN correspondent in response to a question.

“The United Nations appeals to both sides to exercise maximum restraint toensure that the situation does not further deteriorate,” the statementadded.

The UNMOGIP was deployed in January 1949 to supervise the ceasefire betweenIndia and Pakistan in the disputed State of Jammu and Kashmir.

While Pakistan allows UN observers to monitor the LoC, India does not. Thegroup, based in Rawalpindi, is composed of 44 military observers, supportedby 25 international civilian personnel and 47 local civilian staff.

In Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned India’s use of clustermunitions on civilian population living close to the LoC and called on theUnited Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take note of the “internationalthreat to peace and security”.

“I condemn India’s attack across LoC on innocent civilians and its use ofcluster munitions in violation of international humanitarian law and itsown commitments under the 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons,”the prime minister said via Twitter.

“UNSC must take note of this international threat to peace and security.”

“It is time to end the long night of suffering for the people of occupiedKashmir. They must be allowed to exercise their right to self-determinationaccording to UNSC resolutions. The only road to peace and security in SouthAsia runs through a peaceful and just settlement of Kashmir,” he added.