UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to India and Pakistan to join hands to deal with their common issues of international terrorism, according to his Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq.
Haq noted on Monday, "It's important for all of the countries, including India and Pakistan, to work together to deal with any of the concerns that they face regarding international terrorism.
Haq's comments were made in reply to a question from a Palestinian reporter, who connected Pakistan's Permanent Representative Munir Akram's mention of a "principal adversary" to India. Akram made the comments during an address at the UN Security Council after it voted to renew the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
In the course of the discussion, Akram has referred to hijacking of Jaffer Express and an attack attributable to the Baloch Liberation Army without naming explicitly the "adversary" behind it. He said, "We have also evidence on record that such an attack had been launched and funded by our main adversary at its proxies located in Afghanistan."
Akram took great care not to name any particular nation, probably not wanting to give it the chance to invoke the right of reply, which would have opened the door to questions about Pakistan's own activities under the banner of international terrorism. He did not specifically mention India or Iran, both of which are pertinent to the situation, considering India's long-standing grievances against Pakistan and Iran's adjacency to Pakistan's Balochistan province.
But Akram did make it clear that the attack was linked to Afghanistan, claiming, "During the attack, the terrorists were in direct contact with their 'handlers' in Afghanistan, from where the attack was planned and directed."
He also alleged that the intention of the attack was to destabilize Pakistan's cooperation with China, and especially with regards to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The hijacking, which took place in a mountain pass, killed 25 passengers, while 33 terrorists were killed in the subsequent rescue by the military, claimed Pakistani officials.
In other news, the Security Council voted in unison to renew the mandate for UNAMA for one year. Created in 2002 to help the people of Afghanistan, UNAMA's relations with the Taliban administration have become strained, with most of this due to the Taliban's clampdown on women's rights.
Read also| Biden Faces Uncertainty as Trump Declares Presidential Pardons 'Null and Void'
Rubio Continues Trump's 'Vision' for Minority Rights in Bangladesh, Says Spokesperson
