There was nothing new in the meeting between Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the UN headquarters. The PM raised typical grievances Pakistan has against India and sought the UN’s role in resolving these key issues. The PM urged the UN chief to play a role in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India and help end the violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary. He also called for the implementation of the UN Security Council’s resolutions on the Kashmir dispute, and holding of a plebiscite to determine the wishes of the Kashmiri people. That is what has been happening for the last 68 years, just talk about talks and not much else. This pattern has become more entrenched after almost seven decades of a long standoff. As per the pattern, when relations between both neighbouring countries become tense, Pakistan raises its concerns about the Kashmir dispute. On the other hand, the Indian government remains adamant on its stance on Kashmir. Lately, New Delhi has started accusing Islamabad of waging a proxy war and sponsoring terrorism in India. In this perpetual state where neither side is ready to budge, even an out of the box solution to the Kashmir issue seems remote. Here the global community may have to overcome its long standing reluctance to intervene and help in finding a peaceful solution to the lingering Kashmir issue. Both India and Pakistan profess their stances at different forums. Pakistan has sought the UN’s help in arranging a plebiscite in Indian Held Kashmir, which is not a plea likely to find many takers. No doubt, Pakistan should raise its concerns at the international level, but whether there is an audience for these or not must also be taken into consideration. The government needs to understand that the UN is not willing to play any role in this dispute because inherently, and currently, the UN cannot move without the great powers. Second, how can the UN hold a plebiscite in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) when both the states have signed the Simla Accord and agreed that all issues including the Kashmir dispute will be sorted out bilaterally? The UN and world powers are not interested is solving the 68 years old Kashmir self-determination issue according to the UN resolutions, which have become virtually a dead letter. Rather, the UN’s role is limited to advising both countries to engage in the dialogue process and find a solution through it to their outstanding issues. Pakistan also needs to be aware of the fact that the UN’s role in resolving other international issues and conflicts is not so appreciable. Under the leadership of Ban Ki-moon, the UN has become a toothless world body that has no power and/or influence. On its part, Pakistan is overdoing Kashmir. This may backfire and further isolate us. When no one is taking us seriously or wants to get involved, it is best that we talk to India directly. Our track record is before the world. Everyone knows about Pakistan’s involvement in launching proxy wars in neighbouring countries. So far the results of these proxy wars have not yielded positive results. Rather, these ventures proved disastrous for the country itself. In the past, India exercised relative restraint in taking tough action against infiltrators into IHK. Now, after Modi has taken over, relations have become more estranged because India has adopted a more aggressive approach against infiltrators while the traditional blame game has been going on unabated. At a time when the PM has blamed India for committing ceasefire violations on the LoC and Working Boundary, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh has accused Pakistan of waging a proxy terror war against India.When the PM approached the UN, he should have been conscious of the authenticity of the platform and the response of the audience. Pakistan needs to reconsider its approach of seeking UN intervention in Kashmir. Trumpeting the Kashmir issue at the UN may prove a futile exercise with no tangible results. The government should refrain from engaging in fruitless exercises that make us a laughing stock in the eyes of the world. *