India, Pakistan spar over UN team on Line of Control

Following a verbal duel between India and Pakistan over the presence of UN Military Observers Group at the Line of Control, New Delhi on Tuesday dismissed any suggestions of a third-party role in the Kashmir issue, Jayanth Jacob reports.

Following a verbal duel between India and Pakistan over the presence of UN Military Observers Group at the Line of Control, New Delhi on Tuesday dismissed any suggestions of a third-party role in the Kashmir issue.

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While Pakistan is making most of its presidency of the UN Security Council for the month, India is pulling out all the stops to ensure Pakistan doesn’t get any support in “internationalising” the Kashmir issue.

“We haven’t heard anything more about statements that obviously are not acceptable to us,” external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said. “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,” he added.

Omar echoes centre’s views

Speaking in Srinagar the Omar said the UN has no role in the Kashmir issue. “UNMOGIP office in Srinagar and Muzaffarbad were established not because of Partition but due to tensions on ceasefire line. I have seen them not doing anything to prevent LOC violations,” Abdullah said.