FO rejects India’s contention regarding SC verdict in GB matter

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office of Pakistan has rejected India’s ‘baseless and fallacious contention’ regarding the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s verdict to allow the Centre to hold upcoming general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Earlier today, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs lodged a protest through the démarche that the “entire union territories of Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession.”

The statement from the Indian ministry further said, “India completely rejects such actions and continued attempts to bring material changes in Pakistan occupied areas of the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Earlier on April 30, the apex court of Pakistan had allowed the federal government to conduct the elections under Election Act 2017 and amend the related law to install a caretaker government.  

Answering the statement by the Indian Ministry, Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a statement that rejected the Indian baseless claims.

The statement said, “It was clearly conveyed that the Indian claim over the occupied state of Jammu and Kashmir as an ‘integral part’ of India had no legal basis whatsoever.”

“The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and is recognised as such by the international community,” the statement added.

The statement further said, “The dispute, which is the longest outstanding item on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), stemmed from India’s forcible and illegal occupation in 1947 in complete violation of international law and aspirations of the people of the region.”

“It was underscored that the only resolution to the conflict was by implementing the relevant UNSC resolutions that “recognise the Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination,” the statement said.

The statement also said, “Pending the resolution of the dispute, any unilateral Indian actions in occupied Kashmir were illegal.”

Aisha Farooqui reiterated that India’s unilateral actions on August 5, 2019, which stripped the region of its special autonomy, were illegal and in clear violation of the UNSC resolutions.

Aisha Farooqui further said, “It was also emphasised that the baseless Indian contention about GB could neither cover up the atrocities being perpetrated by Indian occupation forces against innocent, unarmed Kashmiris.”

“The Indian government was called upon to immediately reverse all of its illegal actions in occupied Kashmir and let the people exercise their right to self-determination,” she added.