UN Chief Guterres following situation between India, Pakistan 'very closely': Spokesperson

United Nations: UN 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.

“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.

India on Wednesday downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the horrific terror attack. 

On India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, Dujarric said “I think this would go under the rubric of us appealing for maximum restraint and not taking any actions that would deteriorate the situation further or increase tensions in a tense area.” In a statement earlier this week, Guterres had strongly condemned the “armed attack” in Pahalgam.

He offered his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the victims. “The Secretary-General stresses attacks against civilians are unacceptable under any circumstances,” Dujarric said.