Pakistan condemns ‘illegal’ India step in Kashmir Valley
India’s move will destroy regional peace: Imran; Islamabad says it will exercise all possible options to counter ‘illegal steps’ taken by Delhi; politicians express solidarity with Kashmiris
Pakistan on Monday condemned India’s move to abolish Kashmir’s special status as “illegal,” insisting it was an internationally recognised disputed territory. Protests were also held across Pakistan against India.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan termed India’s move to revoke Article 370 as “illegal” and one which would “destroy regional peace and security.”
His reaction came ater the Indian government earlier in the day decided to revoke Article 370 that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir and split the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir with an Assembly and Ladakh without one.
Imran termed changing the status of Jammu and Kashmir as a “violation of UN resolutions.”
“India’s move will further deteriorate relations between nuclear-capable neighbours,” he said
In a statement, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it would “exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps,” taken by India.
The comments came ater Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government introduced plans to weaken the special rights of residents in occupied Kashmir, amid heavy deployment of security forces and suspension of phone and internet services in the valley.
In a press release, the Foreign Office strongly condemned and rejected the move by the Indian government, stressing that IOK was internationally recognised as a disputed territory.
“No unilateral step by the Government of India can change this disputed status, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions,” read the statement. “The decision will never be acceptable to the people of IOK and Pakistan.”
“As the party to this international dispute, Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps,” the statement said while reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to the Kashmiri cause.
In Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistanadministered Kashmir around 45km from the contested border between the neighbours, dozens of protesters held black flags and burnt car tyres, chanting “Down with India.”
“The abolition of the special status of Kashmir will not serve its purpose,” said Zahid Iqbal, 35, a migrant from Indian-administered Kashmir. “We will fight, and we will fight with more vigour.”
There were also protests in Islamabad, the capital, and Pakistan’s commercial hub of Karachi and Lahore.
India’s decision also prompted condemnation on Pakistani Twiter, where at one point the top six trending hashtags all related to the move. Pakistan’s human rights minister Shireen Mazari branded the step “illegal annexation” in a tweet.
Pakistani celebrities have also slammed Indian government’s move against the Kashmiri people’s right to self determination.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that if the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of India felt that their policies were effective, they would not have imposed governor’s rule or conducted politics through presidential orders.
“If they have turned IOK and Ladhak into union territories, it is evident that they have lost hope Kashmiris that used to support them earlier are also in jail or under house arrested. “Today, India has once again revived and internationalised the Kashmir issue. This will not solve the problem, rather it will escalate it. They will never be able to repress the issue. Time will show what a dangerous game has been played.”
Qureshi said that the entire international community needed to condemn the Indian move.
In a post shared on Twiter, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhuto said the atrocities in IOK unabated. Extremist Indian government’s intentions clear. President must immediately summon joint session of parliament in wake of Indian aggression in IOK.
Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif strongly condemned the Indian government’s “atempt to revoke Article 370” as he called for a joint session of parliament. He said that ater reviewing the situation, a comprehensive strategy should be formulated.
He added that Pakistan should also immediately call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. “This is a mater of Pakistan’s national interest, all of Pakistan is united. The time has come for Pakistan’s political and military leadership to take collective decisions - Pakistan is united for the Kashmiri cause.”