Pakistan rejects political maps issued by India: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected the political maps issued by India which are incompatible with the United Nations (UN) maps, said the Foreign Office spokesperson on Sunday.

Dr Mohammad Faisal said in a statement the political maps issued by the Indian Home Ministry on Saturday (yesterday) displaying Jammu and Kashmir region have been rejected by Pakistan over its incompatibility with the UN maps.

He said that the maps seeking to depict parts of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) within the territorial jurisdiction of India are incorrect and complete violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

Read: China ‘firmly opposes’ India’s move to bifurcate occupied Kashmir

The spokesperson reiterated not a single step by India can change the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir recognised by the UN.

UN chief’s concerns

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had reiterated his concern on November 1 over harsh security lockdown in occupied Kashmir and urged India to unlock the situation and fully restore the rights that are currently being denied.

Deputy Spokesman of the United Nations chief Farhan Haq said High Commissioner for Human Rights has made it clear, the situation in Kashmir can only be solved with full respect for human rights.

Read: Int’l community should play effective role on Kashmir issue: President Alvi

In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred ten (10) Kashmiris during the last month of October.

According to the data issued by the independent researchers of Kashmir Media Service, of those martyred one youth was killed by the troops in a fake encounter.

Normal life remains disrupted in the Kashmir Valley and Muslim majority areas of Jammu region owing to the unprecedented military clampdown and almost total communications blackout.

During the month, fifty-seven (57) people were critically injured due to the firing of bullets, pellets and teargas shells on peaceful demonstrators by the Indian military, paramilitary and police personnel in the occupied territory. At least sixty seven (67) civilians, mostly youth and political activists, were arrested.