Pakistan summons Indian envoy, lodges protest over revoking special status of IoK

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Monday summoned the Indian High Commissioner and conveyed a strong demarche over the actions taken by the Indian government with regard to Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK), ARY News reported.

According to a statement issued by FO, the foreign secretary conveyed Pakistan’s unequivocal rejection of these illegal actions as they are in breach of international law and several UN Security Council resolutions.

Pakistan’s resolute condemnation of the unlawful actions aimed at further consolidating the illegal occupation of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOK) was underscored, said a press release.

The foreign secretary also condemned the preceding pre-meditated steps such as complete lock-down of IOK, deployment of additional 180,000 troops, the imposition of curfew, the house arrest of Kashmiri leaders and suspension of communication services, among others.

The foreign secretary called upon India to halt and reverse its unlawful and destabilizing actions, ensure full compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, and refrain from any further action that could entail serious implications.

The FO reiterated that Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to the indigenous legitimate Kashmiri people’s struggle for the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi severely criticized the Indian government’s move to strip Occupied Kashmir off the special status under its constitution.

Speaking to ARY News on Monday, the minister said: “If India thinks that Kashmir issue can be resolved by a constitutional amendment then they are in fool’s paradise.”