The Simla Agreement of 1972 must be considered when seeking a final resolution to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Charter, according to Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, IANS reported.
“Our position on Kashmir remains unchanged,” Haq said.
“The final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute should be achieved peacefully, in line with the Charter of the United Nations and with full respect for human rights.”
He further added, “The Secretary-General also recalls the 1972 Simla Agreement, which governs bilateral relations between India and Pakistan.”
The Simla Agreement, signed in Shimla by then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto following the Bangladesh War of Independence, stipulated that disputes between the two countries, including over Kashmir, should be resolved bilaterally, without third-party intervention.
According to the IANS report, Haq made these remarks in response to a question during a daily UN briefing from a Palestinian journalist who criticised the UN for its silence on the alleged “atrocities” committed in Kashmir over the past five years, following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which had granted special status to the region.
Haq clarified that the UN’s position “is governed by the Charter of the United Nations and applicable Security Council resolutions, as reported by IANS.
