ISLAMABAD, February 17: New Delhi on Monday rejected an offer by United Nations Secretary Antonio Guterres for mediation on the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, pronouncing that the matter will only be discussed bilaterally, reported The Hindu.
Guterres, who is on a four-day trip to Pakistan, had last week said in Islamabad that he was “ready to help if both countries agree for mediation”. The secretary-general made this statement prior to attending a conference on Afghan Refugees in Islamabad. The issue [of Jammu and Kashmir] that needs to be addressed is that of vacation of the territories illegally occupied by another country, Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Indian external affairs ministry told the media in reaction to the statement of the UN chief. “Further issues, if any, would be discussed bilaterally. There is no role or scope for third party mediation,” the spokesperson noted. The spokesperson also stated that the country hoped the UN security-general would also ask Pakistan to take credible action against terror. The UN secretary-general is also expected to visit Kartarpur Gurdwara to see the pilgrim corridor which he describes as a, “unique experiment in cross-border ties” during his stay in the country. Commenting on the Kashmir lockdown last week, Guterres had expressed his deep concern and suggested both the countries to, “de-escalate, both militarily and verbally” to safeguard peace. – Agencies
