NEW DELHI, Jan 22:
Amidst repeated attempts by Pakistan to internationalise recent tension at the Line of Control, India today made it clear that the issue has to be dealt with bilaterally and there was no scope of any third party involvement.
“We did hear some statements about giving access to third parties in this affair. I think we have moved away from that,” External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters here.
He said there has been a “clear reaffirmation” of the bilateral process.
“I think that the contacts between the DGMOs of both sides have indicated that the bilateral process remains in a sustained and steady manner,” he said.
Khurshid added “we haven’t heard anything more about statements that obviously are not acceptable to us. We do reiterate our position that these are bilateral issues and they should be settled bilaterally.
“We have a history of being able to work bilaterally and would want to maintain that. We need to contain this in bilateral purview”.
India and Pakistan had yesterday clashed at the Security Council over the relevance of the UN Military Observer Group on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir with New Delhi saying it has been “overtaken” by the 1971 Shimla Accord while Islamabad insisting the force still had a role.
Tensions had erupted between India and Pakistan over firing and clashes earlier this month at the LoC in which Pakistani troops killed two Indian soldiers. Pakistan had complained to the UN observer force claiming that Indian troops had allegedly crossed the LoC and “raided” a border post.
UNMOGIP had said it would conduct an investigation in accordance with its mandate.
India had outrightly rejected Pakistan’s proposal for a UN investigation into the LoC incident saying New Delhi would not “internationalise the issue or allow the United Nations to hold an inquiry”.
Asked about the offer for talks made by his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, Khurshid said the situation had unfortunately, because of certain “unacceptable” incidents, come under severe questions marks.
“The atmospherics were deteriorating considerably and therefore it was important for us that we first ensure that the atmospherics return to normal or near-normal,” he said.
Khurshid underlined that India’s expectations in the context of the “unfortunate” incident (beheading of Indian soldier) be honoured and responded to.
He said the situation has to become more amiable and more acceptable in terms of public perception and the general support that is needed to take “strong decisions, important decisions”.
He said India does not want to do anything in haste as that would not lead to a constructive and creative outcome.
“So, it is a situation in which we have to be careful, we have to watch and analyse before we take any step in the direction that would be meaningful,” Khurshid said.
At United Nations, the exchange of words occurred during a UN Security Council open debate on peacekeeping, organised by Pakistan under its current Presidency of the 15-nation powerful UN body. The UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) was set up in 1949 to supervise the ceasefire at the Line of Control(LoC.)
Presiding over the debate was Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, who said his country has been a “proud participant” in peacekeeping missions.
“Pakistan is also host to one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions—UNMOGIP. This Mission has played an important role in monitoring peace along the Line of Control(LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir,” Jilani said.
The reference to the UN force was rejected by India’s Ambassador to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri, who suggested it would be better to spend resources allocated for the observer group elsewhere in difficult economic times.
“Suffice it to point out that UNMOGIP’s role has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement of 1972 between India and Pakistan, signed by the Heads of the two governments and ratified by their respective parliaments.
“In times of austerity, we need to address the question whether the resources being spent on UNMOGIP would not be better utilised elsewhere,” Puri said in his remarks at the debate, which was initially supposed to be presided over by Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Puri stressed that under the Simla agreement, the two countries had resolved to settle difference “by peaceful means” through bilateral talks.
At the end of the debate, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Masood Khan, speaking in his national capacity, responded to Puri’s remarks saying that no bilateral agreement between the two nations has “overtaken or affected” the role or legality of the observer group.
UNMOGIP observers have been stationed at the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir since 1949 and supervise the ceasefire between the two neighbours.
“The UNMOGIP continues to monitor the ceasefire in accordance with Security Council resolution, its mandate is therefore fully valid, relevant, and operative,” Khan said.
Counsellor Manish Gupta from the Indian mission took the floor again, saying he is “constrained” to put forward the “factual position” concerning the UN force.
Gupta said UNMOGIP’s role was to supervise the cease-fire line which was established in Jammu and Kashmir as a result of the Karachi Agreement of 1949. “That cease-fire line no longer exists” as a new cease-fire line came into existence on December 17, 1971.
Gupta added that following the Simla Agreement of 1972 between India and Pakistan, “the two countries resolved to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations.”
The Simla agreement also stipulated that the LoC resulting from the ceasefire of December 1971 should be respected by both sides.
“Subsequently, the Line of Control was delineated in Jammu and Kashmir in pursuance to that agreement with approval of both the Governments. Thus, UNMOGIP’s role has been overtaken by these developments,” Gupta said.
Khan responded saying that “the fact is that both India and Pakistan are hosting UNMOGIP”.
Tensions escalated between India and Pakistan over firing and clashes earlier this month at the LoC in which Pakistani troops killed two Indian soldiers. Pakistan had complained to the UN observer force claiming that Indian troops had allegedly crossed the LoC and “raided” a border post.
UNMOGIP had said it would conduct an investigation in accordance with its mandate.
India had outrightly rejected Pakistan’s proposal for a UN investigation into the LoC incident saying New Delhi would not “internationalise the issue or allow the United Nations to hold an inquiry.”
UNMOGIP observers have been located at the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir since 1949 and supervise the ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Currently there are 39 military observers in Kashmir, 25 international civilian personnel and 48 local civilian staff. Pakistan would complete its two-year term at the 15-nation body this year end. India’s two years at the Council as a non-permanent member ended in December. (PTI)
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