Another setback for India against Pakistan at top UN forum
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ISLAMABAD - In a major setback for India, UN chief's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, on Wednesday has asked India and Pakistan to engage in dialogues over Occupied Kashmir which is against the Indian stand that Occupied Kashmir is an internal issue.
He said that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is concerned over any potential escalation between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and he wants both the countries to resolve the issue through mutual dialogue.
Dujarric's statement is a big win for Pakistan because Indian government has repeatedly maintained that Kashmir is India's internal matter and there is no need for a third-party mediation.
Addressing a press conference, UN chief's spokesperson clearly mentioned that UN's position on mediation has always remained the same and though the UN Secretary‑General is in touch with both sides, he believes that Kashmir is an issue between India and Pakistan.
It is to be noted that UN chief Guterres met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France, in August. He has also spoken to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and on Monday Guterres met with the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Maleeha Lodhi on her request over the Kashmir issue. According to Dujarric, the message of UN chief to all these leaders has been the same, that he wants India and Pakistan to resolve the issue through dialogue.
