UNITED NATIONS: United Nations secretary general Javier Perez De Cuellar is following the situation in the volatile northern Indian border state of Jammu and Kashmir with “interest and concern” and hopes that normalcy will return soon, his spokesman said Thursday.
The spokesman did not agree with the contention of a Pakistani correspondent that De Cuellar’s remarks to correspondents earlier that India considered Kashmir to be its internal issue meant that it ‘was putting obstacles to a solution of the dispute. “The secretary general was stating the obvious,” he said,
The role of the United Nations, the spokesman said, was to monitor the ceasefire line.
Asked whether the United Nations plans to initiate relief measures “following reports that the first batch of refugees has crossed cover,” to the territory of control of Pakistan, he said he would have to check.
What provoked Thursday’s questions were the remarks of the secretary general to reporters after the Security Council meeting on Lebanon.
Asked about the violence in Kashmir, he said, “We are following with interest and concern the situation.
“I must say the government of India considers it an internal question. I hope normalcy will return soon.”
He also said he would continue to observe the situation in the state.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 9, 1990
