UN snubs Pakistan

• Both need to resolve all differences through dialogue
• Pakistani, Indian Army officials speak over hotline
• First contact between Pak, Indian armies since tensions
• Writing to UN is well known tactic, will not work: India

New Delhi/United Nations: Pakistan's latest efforts seeking UN intervention on the Kashmir issue have failed to draw any new response from the world body which reiterated that India and Pakistan need to resolve all differences through dialogue to find a long-term solution to the dispute.

Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on national security and foreign affairs, had written to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the recent border tension with India and sought the UN's intervention, stepping up its attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue.

In the letter to Ban Ki-Moon, Aziz said Pakistan believes the UN has an important role to play in promoting the objective of peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, including through his "good offices".

Ban ki-Moon's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, when asked to comment on the letter seeking the UN chief's intervention and his viewpoint on the issue, told reporters he would refer to a statement that was issued last week by Ban ki-Moon's spokesperson in which the UN chief encouraged India and Pakistan to resolve all differences through dialogue and engage constructively to find a long-term solution for peace and stability.

Amid continued tensions along their border, senior Pakistani and Indian military officials spoke to each other over the hotline on Tuesday.

"Directors of Military Operations (DMO) of the Pakistani and Indian armies spoke to each other over hotline," reported Dawn online citing a senior military official.

The DMOs discussed ways to reduce tension along their border. The Pakistani Army's DMO conveyed his country's concern to the Indian official.

It was the first ever contact between the Pakistani and Indian armies since tensions arose at the border.

Indian and Pakistani troops and border guards have opened fire and shelled each other's territory in recent days, leaving many civilians dead on both sides and forcing thousands to flee their homes.

Snubbing Pakistan for taking the issue of Jammu and Kashmir to the United Nations, India said that it was a tactic that will not work.

Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, said on Tuesday, “We have repeatedly said that we are willing for a serious dialogue in framework which includes all issues.”

He added, “Pakistan writing a letter to United Nations is a well known tactic. It hasn't worked earlier, it will not work now.”

Akbaruddin also made it clear that it was “Its upto Pakistan to de-escalate issue. “The road to peace runs from Islamabad to Lahore to New Delhi. Any diversion is a divisionary tactic,” he said.

“The road cannot go through New York,” he emphasised, adding, “The way Pakistan is acting it seems that it is not interested in this kind of dialogue (under Lahore Declaration and Shimla Agreement framework).