'Kashmir's status to be settled under UN charter': Guterres calls for 'maximum restraint'

NEW YORK: United Nations chief Antonio Guterres Thursday expressed concern over reports of restrictions in India held Kashmir, which he said can exacerbate the human rights situation in the region.

“The Secretary-General has been following the situation in Jammu and Kashmir with concern and makes an appeal for maximum restraint,” his spokesperson said.

“The position of the United Nations on this region is governed by the Charter of the United Nations and applicable Security Council resolutions,” the spokesperson quoted him as saying.

The Secretary-General recalled the 1972 Agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, also known as the Simla Agreement, which states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

He called on both the countries to refrain from taking steps that could affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, on Aug 5, the Indian government stripped the disputed region of its autonomy by revoking Article 370 of its constitution.

Internet and telecommunications in held Kashmir have been cut since Monday and a curfew imposed amid fears of strong protest over the decision.