ISLAMABAD: United Nations (UN) chief Antonio Guterres said on Monday that Pakistan and India must exert “maximum restraint” as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed “deep concern” over the deteriorating security environment in South Asia, amid soaring tensions between the two neighbors over an attack in the disputed Kashmir region.
New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for backing the attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22. Islamabad has denied the charge, with both sides announcing tit-for-tat measures.
There have been fears that India may conduct limited strikes close to its border with Pakistan, while the Pakistan military said on Monday that it had conducted a second missile test since the standoff began.
Guterres told reporters in New York that Pakistan-India relations had reached “a boiling point,” condemning the April 22 attack and calling for those responsible to be brought to justice through “credible and lawful means.”
“It is also essential, especially at this critical hour, to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control,” he said.
“Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink. Make no mistake: a military solution is no solution.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, where several outfits have waged an insurgency since 1989.
Pakistan has denied any involvement and called for a credible, international probe into it as international pressure continues to pile on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate.
Separately, the OIC Group in New York, which represents the OIC’s interests and voice at the UN, expressed its “deep concern” over the situation in South Asia, exacerbated by India’s “unfounded allegations” against Pakistan, which it said were “inflaming tensions in an already volatile region.”
“The OIC Group reiterates its principled position against, and condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomsoever and wherever; and reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of all attempts to associate any country, race, religion, culture or nationality with terrorism,” it said in a statement.
“The Group commends the offer of good offices made by the UN Secretary General and calls upon the international community, including the United Nations Security Council and influential states, to take immediate and credible measures to de-escalate the situation.”
Bitter foes Pakistan and India, which were carved out of the Subcontinent at the bloody end of British rule in 1947, have fought multiple wars, including two over Kashmir.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the Pahalgam attack and Islamabad has warned it will hit back in kind against any aggression.
Speaking to reporters, Guterres said he was ready to offer his good offices to both countries to defuse tensions.
“The United Nations stands ready to support any initiative that promotes de-escalation, diplomacy, and a renewed commitment to peace,” he added.
UN urges ‘maximum restraint’ as OIC group voices concern over India-Pakistan standoff
https://arab.news/nj887
UN urges ‘maximum restraint’ as OIC group voices concern over India-Pakistan standoff
- Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists
- Pakistan has denied the allegation and called for a credible, international probe as pressure mounts on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate
Pakistan to hold major spectrum auction early next year, paving way for 5G rollout
- Pakistan’s IT Minister Shaza Fatima says auction aimed for late January or early February to ease congestion, improve Internet quality
- ECC cleared auction framework after international benchmarking, as finance minister warns unsold spectrum causes economic losses
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to complete a major telecom spectrum auction at the beginning of the next year, paving the way for the country’s first rollout of 5G services, Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima said on Tuesday.
The planned auction comes amid mounting pressure on Pakistan’s telecom networks, with users and businesses complaining of slow Internet speeds and frequent disruptions as limited spectrum struggles to serve a population of about 240 million.
“Our effort is to complete this auction by the last week of January or the first week of February,” the minister told a joint news conference. “The quality of Internet service in Pakistan is not at par with international best practices or even regional standards, and one of the fundamental reasons for this is that spectrum is simply not available.”
She said Pakistan’s entire population currently operates on about 274 megahertz of spectrum, compared with around 600 megahertz in Bangladesh, leading to congestion that she likened to “trying to run eight lanes of traffic through two lanes.”
The minister said the government plans to auction nearly 600 megahertz of spectrum — the largest such auction in Pakistan’s history — including several frequency bands that have never been auctioned in the country before.
The move would improve 3G and 4G services and introduce 5G in Pakistan for the first time, she added.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said earlier at the news conference that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had approved recommendations for the auction prepared by the Spectrum Advisory Committee after extensive consultations with telecom operators, regulators and consumers.
“Unsold spectrum directly translates into economic loss,” he said, adding that the committee had engaged a reputable international consultant, National Economic Research Associates, to advise on spectrum pricing, payment terms and auction design based on international benchmarks.
He said the government had reviewed those recommendations using what he described as a “Pakistan-first lens” before securing ECC approval, with the proposal now set to go to the cabinet for final clearance.
