January 8, 2002
Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations, Shamshad Ahmed Khan, on Monday called on the UN security council to intervene and defuse tensions between India and Pakistan which threaten to escalate into a full-scale conflict following India's massive buildup along its border.
The ambassador told the president of the security council, ambassador Jugdish Koonjal Dharmchand of Mauritius, in a meeting: "Pakistan was ready to accept recourse to any of the modalities stipulated under Chapter VI of the UN Charter for the pacific settlement of disputes."
Underscoring that the security council had the primary responsibility under the UN Charter for the preservation of international peace and security, he regretted, "despite the gravity of the situation involving the risk of a full-scale conflict between two nuclear capable states, the security council had remained indifferent to the fulfilment of its charter responsibilities."
He told the president of the security council, "the time had come to rise above power politics and political expediencies to address the issues of peace and security in accordance with the provisions of the Charter."
"The current crisis," Shamshad added, "was rooted in the longstanding dispute over Jammu and Kashmir on which the security council had adopted resolutions which still remain unimplemented."
The president of the security council told Pakistan's ambassador that the entire world community was concerned over the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan and expected both sides to exercise restraint. He appreciated Pakistan's policy of seeking to defuse the situation.
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