*UNITED NATIONS: Pakistani Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told the United Nationspeacekeeping chief that the steep rise in Indian violations of the Line ofControl (Loc) in Kashmir was “alarming”.*
She proposed that the UN Military Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) bestrengthened and expanded to help keep peace and stability in the disputedregion.
The Pakistani envoy made the proposal during her farewell call on theUnder-Secretary-General for peacekeeping, La Croix, at UN headquarters inNew York, according to official sources.
Ambassador Lodhi highlighted the fact that Pakistan was a host to UNMOGIP,one of the oldest missions whose role, she said, has become even moresignificant due to the recent Indian “aggressive actions” on the LoC,especially since New Delhi’s illegal annexation of occupied Jammu andKashmir on Aug 5, when New Delhi placed the disputed state under a lockdownwhich is still continuing.
In 2018, she added, Indian forces committed more than 3,000 ceasefireviolations resulting in the martyrdom of 58 civilians while countlessothers sustained injuries. “This dangerous trend continues unabated in thecurrent year; in 2019, 2608 ceasefire violations have been committed byIndian forces, causing 44 deaths”, the sources quoted the Pakistani envoyas saying.
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During the meeting, she also renewed Pakistan’s pledge to remain active ina leadership role in the world body’s flagship enterprise aimed atpromoting peace and stability around the globe.
As one of the world’s top contributors to UN Peacekeeping, Pakistan hassince 1960 contributed 200,000 troops and served in 46 missions in 28countries around the world.
