ISLAMABAD: United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged both New Delhi and Islamabad to take immediate steps to defuse tensions along the border after an attack last week which killed 40 soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“We are deeply concerned at the increasing tensions between the two countries,” Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman, said during a media briefing.
According to Dujarric, Guterres said “his good offices are available if accepted by both sides”.
The attack, which took place on February 14, saw a suicide bomber kill more than 40 Indian paramilitary soldiers, leading to conflict and a war of words from both sides of the border.
“It is with a sense of urgency that I draw your attention to the deteriorating security situation in our region resulting from the threat of use of force against Pakistan by India,” excerpts from a letter, written by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to Guterres, read.
The letter, which was sent on Tuesday, added: “It is imperative to take steps for de-escalation. The United Nations must step in to defuse tensions. India must be asked to conduct an open and credible investigation on the Pulwama incident.”
Earlier, on Tuesday, Pakistan offered to cooperate with India in the probe pertaining to the attack. In a televised address, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan asked India to share “actionable evidence” regarding the attack, adding that Islamabad will extend every possible cooperation in the investigation.
UN Chief urges Pakistan and India to defuse tension
UN Chief urges Pakistan and India to defuse tension
- We are deeply concerned with the state of affairs, Guterres says
- It is imperative to work toward de-escalation, FM Qureshi writes in a letter
Pakistan opposition rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand release of Imran Khan
- PTI-led gathering calls the former PM a national hero and demands the release of all political prisoners
- Government says the opposition failed to draw a large crowd and accuses PTI of damaging its own politics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demanded the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan at a rally in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, describing him as a national hero who continues to command public support.
The gathering came days after a rare and strongly worded briefing by the military’s media chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who dismissed Khan as “narcissistic” and “mentally ill” on Friday while responding to the former premier’s allegations that Pakistan’s chief of defense forces was responsible for undermining the constitution and rule of law.
He said that Khan was promoting an anti-state narrative which had become a national security threat.
The participants of the rally called for “civilian supremacy” and said elected representatives should be treated with respect.
“We, the people of Pakistan, regard Imran Khan as a national hero and the country’s genuinely elected prime minister, chosen by the public in the February 8, 2024 vote,” said a resolution presented at the rally in Peshawar. “We categorically reject and strongly condemn the notion that he or his colleagues pose any kind of threat to national security.”
“We demand immediate justice for Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and all political prisoners, and call for their prompt release,” it added, referring to Khan’s wife who is also in prison. “No restrictions should be placed on Imran Khan’s meetings with his family, lawyers or political associates.”
Addressing the gathering, Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, denied his administration was not serious about security issues amid increased militant activity. However, he maintained the people of his province had endured the worst of Pakistan’s conflict with militancy and urged a rethinking of long-running security policies.
The resolution asked the federal government to restore bilateral trade and diplomatic channels with Afghanistan, saying improved cross-border ties were essential for the economic stability of the region.
The trade between the two neighbors has suffered as Pakistan accuses the Taliban administration in Kabul of sheltering and facilitating armed groups that it says launch cross-border attacks to target its civilians and security forces. Afghan officials deny the claim.
The two countries have also had deadly border clashes in recent months that have killed dozens of people on both sides.
Some participants of the rally emphasized the restoration of democratic freedoms, judicial independence and space for political reconciliation, calling them necessary to stabilize the country after years of political confrontation.
Reacting to the opposition rally, Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar said the PTI and its allies could not gather enough people.
“In trying to build an anti-army narrative, they have ruined their own politics,” he said, adding that the rally’s reaction to the military’s media chief’s statement reflected “how deeply it had stung.”
“There was neither any argument nor any real response,” he added, referring to what was said by the participants of the rally.
