UN Secretary-General calls on all parties in Kashmir to refrain from any step that can affect its status

United Nations — The Secretary-General of United Nations António Guterres has called on all parties to refrain from taking any step that could affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir, according to an official UN statement published on Thursday.

The statement states that, “the Secretary-General has been following the situation in Jammu and Kashmir with concern and makes an appeal for maximum restraint.”

Further it states, the position of the United Nations on this region is governed by the Charter of the United Nations and applicable Security Council resolutions.

The Secretary-General has recalled the 1972 agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, also known as the Simla Agreement, which states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

The UN statement added, the Secretary-General is also concerned over reports of restrictions on the Indian-side of Kashmir, which could exacerbate the human rights situation in the region.