Islamabad: The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has reiterated the world body’s position on the Kashmir dispute that it should be resolved on the basis of the UN Charter, Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan.

Antonio Guterres reaffirmed the stance in reply to a question at his first press conference as he began his second term as the UN chief in New York. He hoped that human rights would be respected in the disputed territory.

“Well, the position of the UN and the resolutions that were taken are the same, remain the same,” he said in reply to a question from a Pakistani journalist, who reminded him of the statement he made on August 8, 2019.

The Secretary General pointed out that the United Nations has a peacekeeping operation in Kashmir, the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan, which monitors the Line of Control in the disputed region.

He said he had offered his good offices to resolve the dispute several times, and we hope that this is something that can be solved peacefully.

Pakistan has always welcomed the UN Secretary General’s offer of mediation, but India always rejected it.