Pakistan slams Indian PM Modi’s staged visit to IIOJK

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected Indian Prime Minister’s staged visit to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), terming it yet another ploy to project fake ‘normalcy’ in the occupied territory.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said since 5 August 2019, the international community had witnessed many such desperate attempts by India to divert attention from the actual underlying issues in IIOJK including Indian state-sponsored terrorism as well as widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

“It is not surprising, therefore, that while the Indian Prime Minister was on his brief visit to Jammu under a heavy security cover, the people of IIOJK were observing a black day as an expression of their rejection of India’s mischief and illegal policies,” the statement read.

The FO spokesperson also strongly condemned the laying of foundation stones for the construction of the Rattle and Kwar Hydroelectric Projects (HEP) on Chenab River in IIOJK.

The Foreign Office highlighted the construction of Rattle hydroelectric plant, as designed by India, had been disputed by Pakistan, and for Kwar Hydroelectric Plant India had so far not fulfilled its Treaty obligation of sharing information with Pakistan.

“Pakistan views such laying of foundation stones of the two projects by the Indian Prime Minister as direct contravention of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and called upon India to fulfill its obligations under the IWT and refrain from taking any such steps which were detrimental to the IWT framework,” it added.

“It is a mockery that the BJP-RSS regime, which is relentlessly pursuing its avowed ideological mission to politically and economically disempower and dispossess the Kashmiris, seeks to project itself before the world as a champion of development in the occupied territory,” the statement continued.

The FO spox said: “Pakistan salutes the Kashmiris as they remain undaunted in their determination to stand against India’s oppressive occupation.”

Pakistan will continue to extend all possible support to the Kashmiris in their just struggle for the right to self-determination as pledged to them by the UN Security Council in its numerous resolutions, the statement concluded.