UN chief urges restraint in besieged-Kashmir during meeting with Modi in France

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 26 (APP):UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed the grave crisis in Indian Occupied Kashmir with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when they met on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in Biarritz, France, on Monday, with the world body chief reaffirming his call for India and Pakistan not to escalate the situation, his spokesman said.

“The issue of Kashmir did come up. For the Secretary-General’s part, he reiterated the message that he has been saying publicly, and that is basically a need for all parties to avoid any sort of escalation,” Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in response to a question at the regular noon briefing.

Pressed further on the details of Guterres-Modi talks, the spokesman said that Guterres reiterated UN’s position along the lines of his August 8 statement which he made in the wake of India’s annexation of occupied Kashmir.