UN spokesperson disregards question about Indian NGOs, Kashmir

By Arul Louis

United Nations, June 29 (IANS) Secretary-General's Spokesperson has brushed aside a question about Indian NGOs and civil rights organisations criticising the Indian government's alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.

"We are aware of the situation," Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday at his daily briefing. "I have nothing more to say than what the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) himself said during the press conference (last week)."

He was replying to a question from a Pakistani journalist if Guterres had any reaction to criticisms by Indian organisations of New Delhi's handling of the Kashmir situation and if he had contacted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In reply to a question at his news conference on June 20, Guterres gave an oblique acknowledgment that he was engaged in quiet diplomacy to promote a dialogue on Kashmir between Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

He said that he had spoken to Modi twice and Sharif thrice, but did not elaborate on the conversations or on the topic of Kashmir.

At several briefings this year, Dujarric said repeatedly that Guterres calls on the parties to to the Kashmir dispute to find a peaceful solution through engagement and dialogue but would not go further into the topic.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)