New Delhi, January 22
Days after it talked about bilateralism in India-Pakistan ties, Islamabad again sought to internationalise the Kashmir issue by highlighting the role of the UN Military Observers’ Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) along the LoC, provoking New Delhi to question the very relevance and need for the mission in times of austerity.

Participating in a debate on ‘UN Peacekeeping’ at the Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri rejected Pakistan’s observation about the role of the UNMOGIP in monitoring peace along the LoC. The group was set up in 1949 to supervise the ceasefire at the LoC.

Responding to a reference about UNMOGIP by Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani while presiding over the meeting, Puri pointed out that UNMOGIP’s role had been overtaken by the Simla Agreement of 1972 between the countries that was subsequently ratified by their Parliaments. “In times of austerity, we need to address the question, whether the resources being spent on UNMOGIP would not be better utilised elsewhere,” he added.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid also asserted that the countries settle their issues bilaterally. “We have a history of settling issues bilaterally and we retain that (alternative).”

Indian officials said it was quite clear that Pakistan was misusing its rotational month-long presidency of the Security Council to raise the pitch on the Kashmir issue, which was essentially a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.

Jilani, in his speech, said: “Pakistan is host to one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions, the UNMOGIP. This mission has played an important role in monitoring peace along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.”

After Puri’s angry reaction, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Masood Khan took the floor towards the end of the debate and said no bilateral agreement between the two countries has overtaken or affected the role or legality of UNMOGIP. It continued to monitor the ceasefire in accordance with the Security Council resolution and, therefore, its mandate was fully valid, relevant and operative.

India’s Counsellor Manish Gupta then took on the Pakistani representative, emphasising that the UNMOGIP’s role was to supervise the ceasefire line which was established in Jammu and Kashmir as a result of the Karachi Agreement of 1949. That ceasefire line no longer existed and a new ceasefire line came into existence on December 17, 1971.

Following the Simla Agreement of 1972 between India and Pakistan, signed by the Heads of the two governments and ratified by their respective Parliaments, the two countries resolved to settle their differences by peaceful means though bilateral negotiations, he said.

Gupta said the agreement also stipulated that the LoC resulting from the ceasefire would be respected by both sides. Subsequently, the LoC was delineated in J&K in pursuance of that agreement with approval of both the governments. “Thus, UNMOGIP’s role has been overtaken by these developments.”

Pakistan is host to one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions, the UN Military Observers’ Group in India and Pakistan. This mission has played an important role in monitoring peace along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

The role of the UN Military Observers’ Group in India and Pakistan has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement of 1972 between the two countries, which was subsequently ratified by their respective parliaments