NEW YORK-UNS/APP:Nuclear-armed foes Pakistan and India must exert “maximum restraint” and step back from the brink of war, UN chief Antonio Guterres urged on Monday, as tensions between the South Asian neighbours soared.
The April 22 attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in one of the deadliest assaults since 2000. India, without investigation or evidence, implied “cross-border linkages” of the attackers. Pakistan has firmly rejected the claim and called for a neutral probe.
Tensions have since spiked, with Pakistan reinforcing its forces as it expected an incursion and India’s premier granting “operational freedom” to his military. As temperatures remain high, with the military warning of a “swift” response to any misadventure by New Delhi, diplomatic channels have remained engaged to prevent conflict.
Relations have reached “a boiling point”, Guterres told reporters in New York, adding that they were at their “highest in years”.
He again condemned the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice through “credible and lawful means”.
“It is also essential — especially at this critical hour — to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control,” the secretary-general warned.
