UN chief says meetings with Nawaz, Modi will resolve Kashmir dispute

E-Paper | June 14, 2026

UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has suggested meetings with Indian and Pakistani leaders as a means to facilitate dialogue between the two adversaries over the Kashmir dispute.

At his maiden press conference at the UN headquarters on Tuesday he was asked: “Are you involved in bringing about a dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute”? The UN chief responded rhetorically “Why do you think I met three times the prime minister of Pakistan and two times the prime minister of India. For someone accused of doing nothing it is quite a number of meetings”.

The spokesman did not allow a follow-up question to the Secretary General. Mr Guteress has met Pakistan’s leader Nawaz Sharif three times and the Indian leader Narendra Modi two times since he took office as the UN chief in January.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2017

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SANE VOICES

Jun 21, 2017 09:38am

Why don't UN understand that occupying forces never want a third party involved. It makes their case weak.

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PAK-OZ

Jun 21, 2017 09:49am

only kashmiris can decide their fate not modi or nawaz. give them freedom of voting as decided back in UN. freedom is the only option. india need to back their millions of troops out of kashmir. this politicinas has made this heaven into hell

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Bashir kashmiri

Jun 21, 2017 09:51am

Sir all your talks are going in vain because nawaz sarif is a mask with no power.. You need to talk to military of pakistan and other factions who dont want the kashmir issue to be resolved since their livehood depends on it

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RDM

Jun 21, 2017 09:52am

Dialogue between civilian governments shall yield result only if it has an absolute control over Military. Military Dictator is the option, rest all useless tall talks !.

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Bharatiya American

Jun 21, 2017 09:52am

He should have met the army and asked them to vacate illegal occupation and explained what document of accession means along with the 1st requirement of UNSC resolution which was also not followed over last 70 years. What's the point in meeting someone whose decisions does not count at all?

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Jun 21, 2017 09:53am

UN resolutions are obsolete..every one knows...even UN secretary general is insisting on bilateral talks..

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GAUTAM

Jun 21, 2017 09:55am

Very true ....but different stakeholders will not allow it to take place .

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Your neighbour

Jun 21, 2017 09:59am

Hope now you will stop fooling people by raising Kashmir issue in whichever forums you get.

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Useless Nations

Jun 21, 2017 10:00am

UNO is a joke & biggest failure of modern civilization is in chaos !

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Khwarizmi

Jun 21, 2017 10:11am

Indians say it is a bileteral dispute to foreign powers and at the same time is not willing to discuss Kashmir over the table woth Pakistan and the Kashmiris by calling it "an integral part". I believe it is our religious to support Kashmir with in every possible way, including arms.

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Siddhartha

Jun 21, 2017 10:20am

The hawks on both sides will prevent the peace process between these two countries.

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javed

Jun 21, 2017 10:21am

Secretary General Guterres will soon realize that it is a little more complicated than that, as all of his predecessors tried and failed.

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Ash20

Jun 21, 2017 10:26am

Means he said talk themselves and we have nothing to with it. We can try to help talk between two countries but they have to deal themselves.

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Ravi vancouver

Jun 21, 2017 10:33am

UN chief is new to this problem. Any move by Modi and Nawaz Sharif towards talks will be thwarted by some elements in both countries. All attempts will be made to increase tension between India and Pakistan. Status quo is liked by both side politicians, terrorists and US.

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Ramal Khan

Jun 21, 2017 10:40am

So what is the outcome of those meetings? More brutalities of Indian Army to innocent civilians and use of pellet guns !!!

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Akram

Jun 21, 2017 11:03am

India has no regards for international treaties and its own commitments made in UN.

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Navdeep Singh

Jun 21, 2017 11:07am

whats the source of this news.

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cross border terror

Jun 21, 2017 11:22am

No international party can resolved Kashmir without Pak and India themselves. Just accept LoC as ligitimate boundry and withdraw from both side. let the Kashmiri move across LoC.

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Max

Jun 21, 2017 11:34am

We hope his efforts will pay off to diffuse this on going issue and come to an amicable solution for all. Aameen

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Ali

Jun 21, 2017 11:48am

But what about Kashmiris? They are fighting for their freedom from India.

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Anti-corruption

Jun 21, 2017 11:53am

It would certainly be a major achievement of UN if it can resolve the issue between both neighbors

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bakht imran

Jun 21, 2017 12:04pm

what un has done in 70 years for kasmer issue,nothing to expect.

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Sympathiser

Jun 21, 2017 12:06pm

This has been happening for the last 70 years with nil out come...

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Khwarizmi

Jun 21, 2017 12:13pm

India speaks with forked tongue. They say it is a bileteral matter and at the same time is not interested in bileteral talks with Pakistan. I beleieve India will not go for talks as long as Kashmiris are demonstrating against Indian rule, and especially now when the Kashmiris are cheering for Pakistan.

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Statistician

Jun 21, 2017 12:20pm

So the two PMs will meet and discuss the issue, one will prevail in convincing the other and as a result the issue will be resolved. Sounds like s great plan to us!

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Indian

Jun 21, 2017 12:21pm

Best resolution is to respect LOC and remove the forces.

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srini

Jun 21, 2017 12:48pm

Very high expectations...

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sourav ghosh

Jun 21, 2017 12:52pm

@Bashir kashmiri well said bashirbhai I am surprised that Pak does not get this simple fact and even if they do are powerless to voice their feelings

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Bhawan

Jun 21, 2017 12:56pm

@Bashir kashmiri ,you have pointed out the root

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anon

Jun 21, 2017 12:57pm

@Useless Nations "...UNO is a joke..." It wasn't meant to be a joke. But, sadly, it has become one. The League of Nations achieved nothing before it was laid to rest and succeeded by the UN. Regrettably, the UN has become just as irrelevant thanks to the P5 acting like its their sandpit and only they can set the rules that the others must abide by. The new secretary general is new and also very naive -- hence he doesn't quite realize how irrelevant he and his organization have become.

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syed

Jun 21, 2017 01:11pm

solve this issue please. the best way is the to ask the kashmiris what they want and then follow it.

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Friend of a friend

Jun 21, 2017 01:44pm

Very good expectations. So far UN has resolved many problems. Let us hope it can find some better way out, like demilitarization of IOK, and max autonomy to Kashmiris, under UN auspices.

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Harish

Jun 21, 2017 01:51pm

We can have talks, eat samosas and biryanis, give zappis, exchange gifts. But what is the use of having talks for the sake of talks?

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Ajay

Jun 21, 2017 01:58pm

@Akram - "India has no regards for international treaties" First follow Shimla agreement and Ufa declaration.

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Pervez

Jun 21, 2017 02:02pm

The most sane solution seems to be accept the LOC as International border. Allow people to choose their nation. And settle the issue once and for all. Too much resources are being wasted on Kashmir. With growing power India will start claiming right on entire Kashmir. Before it gets any complicated for our future generations to solve, get it done within next 2 years. Let the normalcy return to the region.

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PAMNANI-INDIA

Jun 21, 2017 02:26pm

Hope for the best.

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KUL DEEP

Jun 21, 2017 02:54pm

@Khwarizmi all the best brother. we are looking forward to it . you have admitted it today but everyone has known it since the beginning

Recommend 0

Jun 21, 2017 03:02pm

@Bashir kashmiri you forget that it was a military dictator (Pervaiz Musharaf) who went all out to try and resolve the issue with India but unfortunately it seems this conflict feeds more politicians in India than military in Pakistan.

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Guest

Jun 21, 2017 03:46pm

I like the solution of "Kashmir Problem" like it s a math problem. The two PMs will together find the clue.

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mendon

Jun 21, 2017 10:08pm

@Bashir kashmiri Rightly Said.

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Agha Raza

Jun 22, 2017 01:20am

none can resolve Kashmir issue until India is in power it is fact

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rama

Jun 22, 2017 05:19am

@PAK-OZ Prior to that Pakistan ha to implement condition laid by the UN agreement !!

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rama

Jun 22, 2017 05:19am

@Bashir kashmiri Well said

Recommend 0

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