ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected what it described as baseless Indian claims regarding occupied Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating that India’s unilateral actions cannot alter the disputed status of the territory.
Responding to questions about a recent Indian statement, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Pakistan categorically rejected the unfounded claims concerning occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The Foreign Office spokesperson emphasized that India’s unilateral measures could not change the internationally disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesperson maintained that the Kashmir dispute remains one of the oldest unresolved disputes on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council.
According to Pakistan, the future status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be determined in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. The Foreign Office said that the people of Kashmir should be given the opportunity to exercise their right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under United Nations supervision.
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s position that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have a fundamental right to determine their political future according to their own wishes. Pakistan has consistently called for the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions on the Kashmir dispute.
The Foreign Office further stated that occupied Jammu and Kashmir continues to be shown as a disputed territory on official maps of the United Nations. It said that so-called official Indian maps and unilateral claims of sovereignty over the territory had no legal validity.
Pakistan also rejected attempts to portray unilateral measures as capable of resolving or changing the status of the disputed territory. The Foreign Office maintained that changes imposed without the consent of the Kashmiri people could not replace the internationally recognized process for determining the future of Jammu and Kashmir.
The spokesperson called on India to immediately end what Pakistan described as human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan urged the international community to take notice of the situation and press India to fulfill its commitments regarding the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
The Foreign Office said that the international community should ensure respect for the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council. It stressed that a lasting solution to the dispute required the aspirations and wishes of the Kashmiri people to be taken into account.
Pakistan has repeatedly maintained that the Kashmir dispute cannot be settled through unilateral actions. Islamabad argues that any measures affecting the disputed territory must be consistent with international law and the applicable UN Security Council resolutions.
The Foreign Office’s latest statement comes amid continued disagreement between Pakistan and India over the status and future of Jammu and Kashmir. Both countries have long maintained competing positions on the disputed region, while Pakistan continues to call for the implementation of UN resolutions providing for a plebiscite to determine the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Pakistan said the international community has an important role to play in encouraging respect for international commitments and fundamental rights. It urged global institutions and countries to support a peaceful resolution of the dispute and to ensure that the people of Kashmir are able to exercise their right to self-determination.
The spokesperson reiterated that India’s unilateral declarations, administrative measures or maps could not, in Pakistan’s view, alter the legal or disputed character of Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad said the issue remained an international dispute that required resolution through a process consistent with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Pakistan also urged India to end restrictions and alleged human rights violations in the territory and to create conditions conducive to a peaceful resolution. It called for meaningful international attention to the longstanding dispute and reaffirmed its support for the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their future.
The Foreign Office concluded by reiterating Pakistan’s position that the Kashmir dispute should be addressed in accordance with international law, the UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions. Islamabad said the aspirations of the Kashmiri people must remain central to any credible and lasting resolution of the dispute.
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