ISLAMABAD (DNA) – The United Nations has expressed concern over Indian government’s move to revoke the special status of Kashmir, an UN-recognized disputed territory.

The concern was expressed by U.N. Secretary-General’s Spokesman Stephane Dujarric while talking to reporters at the regular briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Dujarric said the Secretary-General has all along maintained that India and Pakistan should resolve all outstanding disputes between the two countries, including Kashmir, through dialogue.

He urged all parties to exercise restraint.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had written a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations and apprised him about the critical situation of the Occupied Kashmir and the regional peace and security situation.

The letter said that India is committing brutalities on innocent and defenseless Kashmiri people under the draconian laws in the occupied Kashmir.

It said the United Nations has a responsibility to speak out against these violations, documented by an independent entity such as OHCHR and occurring in a territory recognized by the UN Security Council as disputed.

The letter said the pace of Indian firing and shelling across the Line of Control is picking up again. Not only these Indian actions violate the ceasefire understanding of 2003 between the two countries, they are causing civilian casualties and leading to heavy damages to the civilian infrastructure.