UNITED NATIONS, Jan 22: Pakistan and India sparred at the UN Security Council debate on peace-keeping on Monday over the validity of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) which monitors ceasefire along the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir since 1949.

India objected to the reference made by Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Gilani, who underscored the important role UNMOGIP had played in monitoring peace along the LoC.

Pakistan rejected Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri’s contention that the role of the group in India Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which monitors ceasefire along the Line of Control in disputed Kashmir, had been overtaken by the 1972 bilateral Simla agreement .

Pakistan maintained that UNMOGIP’s mandate remained “fully valid, relevant and operative”.

Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khan told the 15-nation Security Council: “No bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan has overtaken or affected the role or legality of UNMOGIP,” on UN peace-keeping.

“The United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan continues to monitor the ceasefire in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council,” Masood Khan added.

As Ambassador Masood Khan set the record straight, another Indian delegate challenged Pakistan’s stand exercising their right of reply.

Manish Gupta, a counsellor at the Indian Mission to the UN, said that UNMOGIP had been put in place to supervise the ceasefire line as result of the 1949 Karachi agreement. That ceasefire line no longer existed; the new one was established on 17 December1971 and followed by an agreement between the two countries in 1972, which settled their issues by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations, he said. That resulted in conversion of ceasefire line into the Line of Control. The ceasefire line had thus overtaken by the LOC.

“Thus UNMOGIP remains invalid,” the Indian delegate added.

Pakistan’s Ambassador Masood Khan said: “The fact is that both India and Pakistan are hosting UNMOGIP” suggesting that the Indian Ambassador’s argument was invalid

The open day-long debate was convened by Pakistan, which holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of January.

Meanwhile, the UN council adopted a resolution on Monday which endorsed multi-dimensional approach to peacekeeping that facilitated post-conflict peacebuilding, helped prevent a relapse into conflict and assisted progress towards sustainable peace and development.

The resolution, co-sponsored by all members of the council, noted that multi-dimensional peace-keeping – the focus of debate led by Pakistan, must ensure coherence between peace-making, peace-keeping, peace-building and development in order to respond effectively to post-conflict situations from the outset.