Author: Irwin Arieff
Publication: Reuters
Date: November 1, 2001
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 1 () - The United
Nations said on Thursday that a peacekeeping official did not reflect U.N.
policy in comments accusing New Delhi and Islamabad of playing "political
games" over the disputed region of Kashmir.
Statements by Major General Hermann
Loidolt, head of the U.N. Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
(UNMOGIP), "did not reflect the views of the Secretary- General (Kofi Annan),"
U.N. spokesman Manoel Almeida e Silva said.
Loidolt "has been reminded of the
limits of his responsibilities," the spokesman said, explaining that policy
statements by staff had to be cleared in advance with U.N. headquarters.
Loidolt, named to the UNMOGIP post
earlier this year, made the comments on Monday.
"All of us are aware of the situation
in Kashmir and the games both parties are playing with this tormented country,"
Loidolt said. "There's no easy solution...and war is absolutely no solution
for the issue of Kashmir."
He also said Kashmir's fate would
be an "issue for the U.S. to solve."
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama
Rao called Loidolt's comments "totally unwarranted and uncalled for" and
said New Delhi would take up the matter with the United Nations.
The only way to resolve the issue
of Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state, was through bilateral talks
with Pakistan, Rao said, adding that India would accept no third-party
intervention.
New Delhi claims the whole of Kashmir
and has been battling for nearly 12 years to put down a bloody revolt against
its rule in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Indian officials say more than 30,000
people have died in the conflict but separatists put the toll closer to
80,000.
Pakistan, which denies direct involvement
in the Kashmir rebellion, says it wants a U.N.-mandated plebiscite to determine
the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
India and Pakistan both support
the U.S.-led fight against Islamic militants in neighboring Afghanistan
but tensions have been mounting between them over guerrilla violence in
Kashmir.
UNMOGIP, one of the oldest U.N.
missions, monitors a cease-fire line dividing Kashmir between India and
Pakistan that was set up in 1949.
