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U.N. says secretary-general spoke to leaders of India and Pakistan after Jammu and Kashmir attack; urges de-escalation
Summary
The U.N. secretary-general held separate phone calls with Pakistan's prime minister and India's foreign minister following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir and urged both sides to avoid escalation, the U.N. spokesperson said.
The U.N. secretary-general, António Guterres, spoke by phone with Shehbaz Sharif, prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s minister of external affairs, the U.N. spokesperson said. In both calls the secretary-general "reiterated his strong condemnation" of the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir and urged that justice and accountability be pursued through lawful means.
Why it matters: India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed neighbors with a long history of tension; the U.N. said it is concerned that rising tensions could lead to a confrontation with ‘‘tragic consequences’’ and offered its good offices to support de-escalation efforts if both sides agree.
The U.N. spokesperson said Guterres warned about the risk of a broader confrontation and underscored the need for both sides to avoid steps that would increase the risk of conflict. The secretary-general "offered his good offices to support any de-escalation efforts," the briefing said.
In the press Q&A, journalists pressed for details about whether the secretary-general’s conversations included requests for an international investigation into the Kashmir incident and whether Guterres is encouraged to pursue a mediation role. The spokesperson said the U.N. would be available for good offices if both parties agreed and reiterated concern about the high level of tension.
No formal action, mediation mandate, or new U.N. measures were announced at the briefing.
