Pakistan rules out military action against India over Kashmir as UN urges ‘maximum restraint’
- Statement from Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi eased fears of all-out clash between South Asian rivals
- UN chief Antonio Guterres calls on India and Pakistan to ‘refrain from taking steps that could affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir’
Pakistan said on Thursday it would not take military action against nuclear-armed rival India for stripping Kashmir of its autonomy, though tensions over the disputed Himalayan region remained high as troops there kept it under lockdown.
The statement from Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi eased fears of an all-out clash between the South Asian neighbours, which have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan region – but none since they both gained nuclear weapons.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres meanwhile called on India and Pakistan “to refrain from taking steps that could affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir”.
“The Secretary-General has been following the situation in Jammu and Kashmir with concern and makes an appeal for maximum restraint,” his spokesperson said. “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.”
On Monday, Delhi stripped the Indian-held portion of Kashmir of its special autonomy, bringing it under its direct rule and deepening animosity with Pakistan, igniting days of debate over how the country should respond.