Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has dismissed the need for a United Nations office in Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Sinha was replying to a question in Jammu about whether the UN office in Srinagar should be closed because of the improved situation.
He said the security in the region has improved, and people are living a normal life. However, he was quick to add that the decision to close the UN office was the domain of the Minister of External Affairs (MEA).
"If people feel there is normalcy, that is a good sign. Politicians may have their reasons for making statements, but the people of Jammu and Kashmir now want peace to continue," he said, while crediting this change to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the government's efforts to improve security.
The UNMOGIP was established in 1949 to supervise the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. It continues to monitor the Line of Control and Working Boundary- areas in Jammu that face parts of Pakistani Punjab. The UNMOGIP’s mission's primary function is to observe and report on developments related to the strict observance of the ceasefire, investigate ceasefire violation complaints, and report its findings to the Secretary-General. It operates along the Line of Control (LOC) and Working Boundary between India and Pakistan in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Its headquarters are in Islamabad from November to April and in Srinagar from May to October.
Despite ongoing disagreements between India and Pakistan regarding UNMOGIP's mandate, the mission continues to operate, with the Secretary-General saying that it can only be terminated by a Security Council decision. India has requested that UNMOGIP cease operations in Kashmir, arguing that it has no mandate to monitor the situation there.
Pakistan continues to seek cooperation from UNMOGIP and lodges complaints with the mission against alleged Indian ceasefire violations.
The UNMOGIP has often been the venue for separatist protests in Kashmir, with separatist leaders making speeches outside the building and handing over memorandums demanding the right to self-determination in Jammu and Kashmir.