Yoshita Singh/United Nations

Expressing deep concern over the situation between India and Pakistan, UN chief Antonio Guterres stands ready to support any initiatives, acceptable to both parties, for "de-escalation" and "resumption of dialogue", his office has said.

The Secretary-General “remains deeply concerned about the situation between India and Pakistan. He strongly urges both Governments to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any escalation,” a statement by the office of his spokesperson said Monday.

Guterres "reaffirms his firm belief that even the most challenging issues can be resolved peacefully through meaningful and constructive dialogue. He stands ready to support any initiatives, acceptable to both parties, that promote de-escalation and the resumption of dialogue.”

Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan after terrorists opened fire near Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.

India downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post in view of the cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Guterres has said he is following the situation between India and Pakistan “very closely and with very great concern” and has appealed to both governments to exercise maximum restraint and to ensure there is no further deterioration.

The statement on Monday further noted that the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) “has no presence in the area where the attack happened and continues to implement its mandate of observing developments pertaining to and supervising the strict observance of the 1971 ceasefire along the Line of Control.”

The UN chief again conveyed his solidarity with the families of the victims of the April 22 terrorist attack and "underscores the importance of accountability and justice.”

UNMOGIP was established in January 1949. Following the India-Pakistan war in 1971 and a subsequent ceasefire agreement of December 17 of that year, the tasks of UNMOGIP have been to observe, to the extent possible, developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire of December 17, 1971, and to report thereon to the Secretary-General.

India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).

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Last week, the UN Security Council “condemned in the strongest terms” the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, stressing that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable and organisers and sponsors of this "reprehensible act of terrorism" should be brought to justice.