Keeping A Close Watch : United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Following Ind-Pak Situation; Urges Both Governments To Exercise Maximum Restraint

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the situation between India and Pakistan ‘very closely and with very great concern’ and appeals to both governments to exercise maximum restraint and ensure no further deterioration, his spokesperson said.

According to PTI, “We were very clear in our condemnation of the terror attack that occurred in Jammu and Kashmir, on the 22nd, two days ago, which killed a large number of civilians,” Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said at the daily press briefing Thursday.

Dujarric was responding to a question on whether Guterres has had any contact with the governments of India and Pakistan amid escalating tensions in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed.

He said Guterres has not had any direct contact, ‘but I can tell you he’s obviously following the situation very closely and with very great concern.’

The secretary-general ‘very much’ appeals to both the governments of India and Pakistan to ‘exercise maximum restraint and to ensure that the situation and the developments we’ve seen do not deteriorate any further.

“Any issues between Pakistan and India, we believe can be and should be resolved peacefully, through meaningful, mutual engagement,” Dujarric said.

Terrorists opened fire near Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on Tuesday, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.