Pakistan has sought intervention by the UN as tensions with neighbouring India mounted after a deadly bombing in the disputed region of Kashmir, the officials said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Qureshi wrote a letter to the world body’s chief, asking him to step in to defuse tensions between nuclear-armed rivals.
“It is imperative to take steps for de-escalation. The UN must step in to defuse tensions,” Qureshi wrote to UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres.
The move comes as India threatened to isolate Pakistan diplomatically and respond to the bombing militarily.
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A suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a motorcade of Indian police in Kashmir last week, killing 44 people.
An Islamist militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, which allegedly operates from Pakistan claimed responsibility in a move that escalated tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.
The tensions between the South Asian rivals were already high due to sporadic deadly fire exchanges at their border, one of the highest militarised region in the world.
Qureshi asked the UN chief to intervene swiftly to resolve the urgent issue before it escalates further.
The nuclear-capable South Asian neighbours have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir which is currently divided in two parts, one administered by India and the other by Pakistan.
India-administered Kashmir has seen a secessionist movement since the mid-1980s and more than 44,500 people have died in the violence.
India blames Pakistan for nurturing militants, who carry out strikes in Kashmir.
Islamabad denies the charge and calls them freedom fighters.
Similarly, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, on Tuesday said he would take action if Indian investigations showed Pakistani involvement in the Kashmir bombing that killed dozens of people last week.
“Today, I say to the Indian government that Pakistan is ready for any kind of investigation about the involvement of any Pakistani. If you have actionable evidence about involvement of any Pakistani, share it with us. I assure you that we will take action.
We are hearing voices from India that Pakistan should be taught a lesson. Pakistan will not think about retaliation, we will retaliate. You will leave us with no other option,” Khan said in a statement. (NAN)