Pakistan on Thursday dismissed Jaishankar’s remarks of Foreign Minister of India about Kashmir as “baseless”, while demanding a counter to address the issue.
Speaking during a session at the Chautham House Think-Tank in London on Wednesday, Jaishankar said that the Kashmir dispute “after the return of Kashmir’s theft, which is in illegal Pakistani occupation.”
Foreign office spokesman Shafkat Ali Khan while addressing a weekly press briefing, dismissed the comments and instead asked India to vacate the part of Kashmir, which he had captured.
“We reject the remarks made by the Indian Foreign Minister on Jammu and Kashmir during an event held on March 5 at the Chautham House in London,” Khan said.
“Instead of making baseless claims about Azad Jammu and Kashmir, India should vacate large areas of Jammu and Kashmir in its possession for the last 77 years,” he said.
Jaishankar, who visited the UK, said at the Chautham House event: “The removal of Article 370 was step number one, the development and economic activity in Kashmir and restoring social justice were step number two, and the election with a very high voting was step number three.” He said, “I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the theft part of Kashmir which is subject to illegal Pakistani occupation. When this is done, I assure you that Kashmir will be resolved.”
India-Pakistan bilateral relations were nounted and trade between the two countries closed after canceling Article 370 of the Constitution of India, canceled the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and on August 5, 2019 in two center areas.
India has told Pakistan that “is the center region of Jammu and Kashmir and the center of Ladakh, they are and will always be in integral and disqualified parts of India.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman also said that Kashmir was an internationally recognized disputed area and Jaishankar’s comment “incorrectly presents the ground realities and violates international law.” He said, “The resolution United Nations Security Council proposals have been asked that the final position of Jammu and Kashmir is to be determined through an independent and fair referendum under the aegis of the United Nations. India’s prevalence cannot change this reality,” he said.
Khan also dismissed claims about the elections held by the Indian minister in his part of Kashmir last year. “We also want to underline that no electoral practice for the Indian Constitution can serve as an alternative to give the right to self -determination,” he said.
He also rejected India’s claims about starting economic activities in Kashmir. “Similarly, decades -old complaints of Kashmiri people cannot be addressed meaningfully through economic activity under a gun barrel,” Khan said.
The spokesperson also urged India to realize that a peaceful disposal of Jammu and Kashmir was mandatory for a permanent peace in South Asia, according to the proposals of the United Nations Security Council and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
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