UN chief urgently appeals to Pakistan, India for restraint post-LoC violation

 

UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday issued an urgent appeal to Pakistan and India for "maximum restraint" in the wake of the airspace violations by Indian warplanes along the Line of Control (LoC), according to his spokesperson.

"The Secretary-General is closely following the situation," Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson, said in response to a question at the regular noon briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Guterres "reiterates his urgent appeal to both the Governments of India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to ensure that the situation does not further deteriorate," the spokesperson added.

The secretary-general is on his way back home from Geneva.

OIC condemns India’s aerial violation of LoC

The meeting comes in the wake of increased tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama attack

Responding to a question about India's claims of heavy casualties on the Pakistani side, he said the UN had nothing on it.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, delivered a letter — penned by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and addressed to the UN Secretary-General — at his office.

Guterres is due to return to New York this evening.

The Pakistani envoy is also circulating to the UN member states the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) condemnation of airspace violations along the LoC by the Indian warplanes.