Welcoming the Indo-Pak efforts to improve their bilateral relations, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Friday said the two countries should persist with their efforts to resolve outstanding issues and advocated peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue while respecting the “wills” of people there.
Ban held comprehensive discussions on the issue of counter-terrorism in his meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna during which India raised its concerns over terrorism in the Af-Pak region.
Asserting that terrorism cannot be justified by any reason, the UN Secretary General made a strong pitch for bringing the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack to book “as soon as possible” and noted that the government of India and Pakistan were making efforts to do so. “I am pleased with the continued efforts to improve the relations between India and Pakistan. This has a broader significance for the region and for global peace. I realise there are many outstanding issues but I encourage leaders of both the countries to persist with these efforts,” Ban said at a press conference.
Asked about the UN position on Kashmir, the UN Secretary General, said, “I hope this issue is addressed peacefully without violence and respecting wills of the people there.” He said it should be resolved “without resorting to any violence and fully respecting the human rights sentiments there.
