ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly opposed reported Indian plans to grant statehood to Jammu while treating the rest of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) differently, calling it a violation of international law.
Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, addressing his weekly press briefing, said Kashmir is a disputed territory whose final status must be determined in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
He stressed that India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, breached the UN Charter, UNSC resolutions, and the Fourth Geneva Convention. “Any further steps in pursuance of these actions will also be illegal,” he warned.
On the broader Kashmir dispute, the spokesperson said Pakistan would welcome the United States or any other country’s interest in facilitating its resolution. He added that Islamabad prefers diplomacy to settle disputes but it is India that must decide on engagement.
He also condemned the banning of books by authors Arundhati Roy and Maulana Abul A’la al-Maududi in IIOJK, terming it another example of “draconian and illegal Indian rule” in the region.
Rejecting speculation of any secret agreement with Washington over Pakistan’s natural resources, he reiterated that the country’s national interests remain secure.
The spokesperson further accused India of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan, claiming that the insurgency in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is emanating from Afghan territory. He urged Kabul to act against such sanctuaries, saying a stable Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s best interest.
Highlighting relations with Moscow, Shafqat Ali Khan said Russia remains an important priority in Pakistan’s foreign policy, with both sides working to strengthen cooperation that benefits regional stability.
