Kashmir: UN refutes 'groundless' press reports about role of its India-Pakistan mission
Reacting to what it described as erroneous press reports, the United Nations today stressed that its operation in India and Pakistan is fulfilling its mandate of observing a ceasefire in Kashmir.
Citing a recent article in the local press in Kashmir which carried "a number of groundless and potentially inflammatory accusations" about the role of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), a UN spokesman recalled the mission's functions and the basis for its activities.
According to the Security Council mandate set in 1971, UNMOGIP observes and reports on ceasefire violations along and across the Line of Control and the working boundary between Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as on developments that could lead to ceasefire violations.
"The observers report only to UNMOGIP Headquarters, which forwards reports to Headquarters here in New York," spokesman Fred Eckhard said in a statement. "They do not provide information to any third party."
The 45 military observers in UNMOGIP, drawn from nine countries, serve unarmed and the host authorities have full responsibility for ensuring their safety, he emphasized. "We trust that the authorities will ensure that the difficulty and risks faced by these dedicated officers are not exacerbated by such irresponsible and misinformed reports."