The United Nations has rebutted Pakistan’s charges that Indian troops attacked UN observers along the Line of Control (LoC).
On Wednesday, the UN spokesperson for Secretary-General General Antonio Guterres, confirmed there was no evidence of any attack on the UN observers by the Indian military along the LoC.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said a vehicle carrying UNMOGIP Majors Emmanual of the Philippines and Mirko of Croatia- members of the UN military observer group -- came under attack during a visit to the LoC.
"I can say to you that this afternoon in Bhimber District, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, UNMOGIP military observers accompanied by Pakistani Army escorts heard gunshots in their vicinity. There is no evidence that the UNMOGIP military observers were targeted by the gunfire. No UN military observer was injured," he told reporters yesterday.
Advertisement
On May 17, Pakistan Army had also lodged a protest with the UN military observers against "unprovoked" Indian firing on civilians from across the Line of Control.
According to the Security Council mandate of 1971, UNMOGIP observes and reports on ceasefire violations along and across the Line of Control and the working boundary between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as reports developments that could lead to ceasefire violations.
India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).
