Pakistan slams India over holding G20 event in Srinagar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday expressed its “strong indignation” over India’s decision to hold the G20 meetings in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The Foreign Office’s statement came after the Narendra Modi government announced the holding of the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar on 22-24 May 2023.

“Scheduling of two other meetings of a consultative forum on youth affairs (Y-20) in Leh and Srinagar in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is equally disconcerting,” the FO said in a statement.

“India’s irresponsible move is the latest in a series of self serving measures to perpetuate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in sheer disregard of the UN Security Council resolutions and in violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law. Pakistan vehemently condemns these moves,” it added.

Such events, the FO spokesperson said cannot hide the reality of Jammu and Kashmir being an internationally recognized dispute that has remained on the agenda of United Nations Security Council for over seven decades.

“Nor could such activities divert international community’s attention from India’s brutal suppression of the people of IIOJK including illegal attempts to change the demographic composition of the occupied territory,” the FO stated.

The statement added that India is again exploiting its membership of an important international grouping for advancing its self-serving agenda.