United Nation: UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky on Tuesday rejected the demand from Indian ambassador in UN to end the military observer mission at Line of Control, a disputed territory between two arch rivals, Pakistan and India.
Indian Ambassador to United Nations had demanded the world body to terminate its observer mission at LOC as it was a bilateral problem between the two countries.
Manish Gupta, a counsellor at the Indian Mission to the UN, also said that UN Military Observer Group In India & Pakistan (UNMOGIP) had been put in place to supervise the ceasefire line as result of the 1949 Karachi agreement.
That ceasefire line no longer existed. The new one was established on 17 December 1971 and followed by an agreement between the two countries in 1972, which settled their issues by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations, he said.
That resulted in conversion of ceasefire line into the Line of Control. Thus UNMOGIP remains invalid, the Indian delegate added.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the spokesman said that the mission was active and would continue to perform its duties in accordance with the mandate designated to it.
The UN military observer mission was authorized by Security Council, therefore only Security Council has right to terminate it.
On the other hand, Pakistani ambassador to UN said that the groups mandate remained fully valid, relevant and operative.
No bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan has overtaken or affected the role or legality of UNMOGIP, Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khan told the 15-nation Council after his Indian counterpart Hardeep Singh Puri questioned the status of the 42-member observer group in the course of a debate on UN peacekeeping.
The mission continues to monitor the ceasefire in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council, said Khan.
UN supports Pakistan, rejects Indian demand to end military observer mission at LOC | The News Tribe