NEW YORK: United Nations (UN) associate spokesman Farhan Haq at a briefing in New York urged Pakistan and India to take steps to ease tensions, reported Radio Pakistan.

Haq said the UN continues to encourage peaceful resolution of bilateral issues between the two countries.

The UN's statement comes in the aftermath of a series of provocative statements issued by Pakistani and Indian politicians culminating in Pakistan's announcement that it would bring Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's statements to the notice of the UN.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Monday said, “Dialogue with India will be of no use if it does not cover Kashmir and water issues."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an address at Dhaka University in June blamed Pakistan for spreading terrorism and fear in neighbouring India.

Earlier, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, in a shocking and radical statement, had asserted that terrorists have to be neutralised only through terrorists.

Key Pakistani ministers, including Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Khawaja Asif, lashed out at the provocative statements and actions coming from the Indian side.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali warned India “Pakistan is not Myanmar,” referring to an Indian raid on an alleged terrorist hideout in neighbouring Myanmar.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that if forced into war by India, Pakistan will respond in a befitting manner, adding that “our arms are not meant for decoration.”

However, following the back-and-forth, Modi called Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif extending Ramazan greetings and also announced the release of Pakistani fishermen detained in India as a gesture of goodwill.

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