By Iftikhar Ali
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 05 (APP): A United Nations report has pinpointed a series of actions taken by India over the years that have impaired the peacekeeping responsibilities of the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which monitors the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region, and called for steps to overcome its operational challenges.
“On the Indian side of the LOC and (Sialkot-Jammu) Working Boundary, UNMOGIP military observers have no freedom of movement to conduct operational tasks,” according to the group’s audit report made public recently.
“UNMOGIP military observers and international staff experience long delays in obtaining visas to travel to the Indian-Administered Kashmir,” the report added.
The group, now numbering 44 observers, was established in 1949 as a peacekeeping mission by the UN Security Council to act on its behalf as an instrument to preserve and sustain peace in the region.
“Further,” the report said, “UNMOGIP has not been receiving complaints of alleged ceasefire violations from India since 1972.”
“On the Pakistani side of the LoC and Working Boundary,” the report said that the observer mission conducted 666 observation post tasks – 259 in 2020 and 407 in 2021; received 149 complaints of alleged ceasefire violations -140 in 2020 and 9 in 2021; and investigated 141 complaints – 132 in 2020 and 9 in 2021.
In addition, the Group said it received 32 petitions from local authorities in Pakistan: 20 petitions in 2020 and 12 in 2021.
“While UNMOGIP provided weekly, monthly and annual reports on its work to DPO (Department of Peace Operations), there was no evidence of any action taken on these reports,” the report pointed out.
“The report confirms Pakistan’s main contentions, including that Jammu and Kashmir is an international dispute, not a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, much less India’s internal affair,” Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram told APP correspondent when asked for his comments.
He said the report also endorses Pakistan’s stand that the Security Council has authorized the stationing of the UNMOGIP to observe the ceasefire, pending the resolution of the dispute through a plebiscite. Further, it confirms that while Pakistan is extending all possible cooperation to UNMOGIP, India was doing everything possible to impede and frustrate the mandate of the Group authorized by the Security Council.
In addition, Ambassador Akram said the report supports Pakistan’s view that UNMOGIP’s strength ( 44 observers) is not sufficient to conduct its mandate effectively and should be enhanced, and that violations of the ceasefire along the LoC need to be reported clearly and comprehensively to UN Headquarters and the UN Security Council.
“We look forward to the implementation of the audit report’s recommendations by the UN, by UNMOGIP and the two ‘host’ States, India and Pakistan,” the Pakistani envoy added.
As a result of Indian restrictions on the movement of UNMOGIP officials, the report said the Group was constrained to establish only 11 field stations, with several of them having only one military observer deployed to monitor and report the ceasefire violations.
It also said the Indian curbs have also stretched UNMOGIP’s operational expenses as New Delhi shut down the Working Boundary Crossing Point (BCP) at Jammu and Sialkot, in March 2020, forcing UNMOGIP to use a much longer route from Wagha border to reach its field stations in Jammu. The measure led to additional costs, including for fuel at a time when the global energy prices are high. India, the report said has not responded to repeated requests by the UN, including in New York, to resolve the issue by reopening the Sialkot-Jammu BCP.
Not only that, India has withdrawn its in-kind contributions such as logistical facilities and free food rations to military observers performing their duties in the field stations. Since 2013, India has collected several hundred thousand rupees from UNMOGIP every month in lieu of accommodation and food rationing facility, the report said.
India’s measures, according to the report, have led to UNMOGIP paying over $1 million in the period between September 2013 and 31 December 2021. While UNMOGIP has been making these payments, the report said it is doing so “under protest” as a way to express its disagreement to the charges levied by the Government of India.
In this context, the report called on the UNMOGIP to explore ways to provide periodic feedback to both Pakistan and India, as well as the Secretary-General on the findings of various investigations, including for ceasefire violations (CFV’s). The recommendation is aimed at strengthening the accountability mechanism.
Finally, the report stresses the need to ensure UNMOGIP’s optimum operational strength in the field, a recommendation that supports Pakistan’s call for bolstering the group to enhance its operational capabilities and effectiveness.