UN chief Ban Ki-moon calls for urgent de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on Friday, 30 September, has called for urgent de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan. He has also offered to play the role of mediator between the two nuclear powers.

A statement issued by Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson at the United Nations said that the secretary-general "is deeply concerned over the significant increase in tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the recent developments, in particular the reported cease-fire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) following an attack on an Indian army base in Uri on September 18."

It also added that the UN chief has asked both the nations to "exercise maximum restraint" and take "immediate steps to de-escalate the situation".

The secretary-general's proposal came after Pakistan's ambassador Maleeha Lodhi met with the UN chief and requested him to personally intervene in the matter.

"This is a dangerous moment for the region. The time has come for bold intervention by him if we are to avoid a crisis, because we can see a crisis building up," Lodhi said after meeting with the chief at the UN headquarters in New York.

She also accused India of developing "conditions that pose a threat to regional and international peace and security".

Tensions between the two neighbours have escalated since the Uri terror attack in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 18 Indian soldiers on 18 September. India accused Pakistan of backing the attack and claimed it was carried out by the Islamabad-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier said the attack on the country's army base would not go "unpunished" and the sacrifices of its soldiers would not go in vain.

India had also claimed on Thursday that on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, it had conducted surgical strikes targeting terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC).

However, India's mission to the United Nations had told AFP that India "has no desire to aggravate the situation" and that "our response was a measured counter terrorist strike".

"It was focused in terms of targets and geographical space. It is reflective of our desire to respond proportionately to clear and imminent threat posed by terrorists in that instance. With our objectives having been met that effort has since ceased," the mission asserted.