UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, is ‘continually’ monitoring the situation between Pakistan and India, and his office remains available to both countries, as relayed by his spokesperson on Saturday.
A spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, was asked by reporters in New York if Guterres had spoken with the two prime ministers to de-escalate tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours. He assured, “The secretary-general and members of his staff are in touch…have been in touch with the parties at various levels.”
“We continually monitor the situation and (are) available to the parties,” Dujarric added.
He claimed that the UN chief was continuously keeping an eye on the political developments.
Previously, UN Human Rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, had slammed India on March 7 over its “divisive policies” for extensively marginalising Muslims among its other minorities.
She remarked while presenting her annual report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, “India’s narrow political agendas are marginalising Muslims and other minorities in an already unequal society.”
She further added that the global peacemaking body was hearing reports of increasing harassment and targeting of minorities, especially Muslims and people from historically disadvantaged and marginalised groups, including Dalits and Adivasis.
Bachelet expressed her concerns over the ongoing crisis in Indian-occupied Kashmir and also offered her office to investigate the situation at hand.
Published in Daily Times, March 10th 2019.
