Islamabad, July 5 (PTI): Pakistan today downplayed the reference to the UN charter in the latest Indo-Pak joint statement, saying it has no special significance and it is neither a victory nor a defeat for either side.

Apparently referring to the criticism by BJP spokesman Yashwant Sinha on the mention of the UN charter in the statement issued after foreign secretary-level talks, Pakistan foreign office spokesman Masood Khan said the reference was aimed at reiterating commitment to the UN principles as both countries are its members.

He said the UN charter figured in the 1972 Simla Agreement also.

“The significance is that both India and Pakistan are members of the UN. In the past, they have made references to the UN charter. They have done so once again. There is no special significance,” Khan said.

Referring to various reports in the Indian media claiming either victory or defeat, he said “...none of that is true. India and Pakistan are members of the UN and, therefore, invocation of the UN charter does not alter anything or does not add much to what we have been doing in the recent past”.

Khan said external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, who met in Jakarta a few days ago, would meet again when Singh comes to Islamabad to attend the Saarc foreign ministers’ meeting on July 20-21.

The two ministers will discuss the progress of dialogue, he said.

Denying that his remarks criticising the fencing along the LoC by India contradicted comments made by foreign secretary Riaz Khokhar on his return from Delhi, the spokesman said: “There is no incompatibility between comments made by Khokhar and his assertions.”

Khan said the LoC fencing was a “violation” of the Karachi agreement as well the Simla Agreement. “We have kept the UN informed about the fencing and urge India not to press ahead with its construction.”

On reports that the two sides failed to make progress to resolve the Kashmir problem, Khan said “nobody rejoiced or celebrated” after the talks but Pakistan saw it as a good beginning.