UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed grave concern about the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, saying that the relationship between the two countries has reached a “boiling point” and that tensions are at their “highest in years.” He warned that “military confrontation can spin out of control”.
"Make no mistake. A military solution is no solution," Guterres said in a brief statement.
Guterres added that he understands the "raw feelings" following the "awful" terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and again strongly condemned that attack, extending his condolences to the families of the victims.
"Targeting civilians is unacceptable, and those responsible must be brought to justice through credible and lawful means," he said.
Guterres, in a statement on Monday, urged both nations to exercise "maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink" to prevent further destabilisation of the region. “It pains me to see India-Pakistan relations reaching a boiling point,” he said, highlighting the severity of the situation.
He reiterated his offer of his "good offices" to both governments in the service of peace.
"The United Nations stands ready to support any initiative that promotes de-escalation, diplomacy, and a renewed commitment to peace," he added.
The UN chief's statement comes in at a time when the Union Home Ministry has asked several states to conduct mock drills on May 7 amid rising tensions with Pakistan.
The measures to be taken during the drill include operationalisation of air raid warning sirens and training of civilians on civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a "hostile attack", government sources said.
The other measures are provisions of crash blackout measures, early camouflaging of vital plants and installations and updation of evacuation plans and their rehearsal.
(With inputs from PTI)
