UN 'Deeply Concerned' Over Escalating Pakistan-India Conflict

UN urges calm amid increasing hostility between Pakistan and India over Kashmir

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The UN has expressed “deep concern” over the escalating tensions between Pakistan and India due to the Kashmir crisis.

A spokesperson for Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, said that he 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“.

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The statement comes after fresh fire was exchanged between India and Pakistan on Saturday, with the Pakistani military insisting that their troops are responding to unprovoked Indian firing. A senior Indian army official responded by claiming that “Pakistani troops today violated [the] ceasefire along Pallanwala sector of Akhnoor area of Jammu.”

Ibtimes.co.uk reports:

“They targeted five of our posts [with] small arms and we also responded and fired back. However, there was no damage.”

The latest development in the ongoing conflict comes two days after Indian troops are said to have crossed the Pakistan border of Kashmir, killing suspected militants in what they called a “surgical strike”.

However, Pakistani authorities deny that such a strike took place.

Last month, 19 soldiers were killed at an army base in India-controlled Kashmir, which officials there blamed on Pakistani militants. Pakistan’s government also denied this attack.

Earlier on Saturday, it was reported that more than 200,000 people within 10km (6.2 miles) of the border were thought to have been evacuated from their homes. It comes the day after UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon called for urgent de-escalation of tensions between the two nations.

A statement issued by Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson at the UN on Friday said that he 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”.

Pakistan vs Bollywood

At the same time, Pakistan’s cinema owners were said to be refusing to screen Bollywood films in response to the situation.

It was also reported by The Times of India that all Indian TV channels have been banned in Pakistan.

“We have stopped screening Indian movies at our cinemas from Friday till the situation improves and normalcy returns,” said Nadeem Mandviwalla, who runs a number of cinemas in Pakistan.

The move is also thought to be partially in response to the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) banning its members from hiring Pakistani actors on Thursday.

Kashmir has been the cause of two wars between India and Pakistan since India declared independence from Great Britain in 1947. Both sides claim the state.