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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed serious concern to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council (UNSC) over efforts to pass into law the controversial Geospatial Information Regulation Bill which aims to restrict geographical depictions of India and disputed Kashmir to those that are government-approved.
Under the draft bill, anyone distributing a map the Indian government deems to be "wrong" could be liable for a billion-rupee fine and jail time.
Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said India's "incorrect and legally untenable" official map, in violation of UNSC resolutions, displays the disputed territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir as part of India.
Through the passage of this Bill, the Indian government would be able to penalise the individuals and organisations that depict AJK as a disputed territory in accordance with UNSC resolutions, Zakaria said.
New Delhi already imposes tight restrictions on maps but if it becomes law, the bill would impose specific penalties for the first time.
A letter sent to the UN in this regard by Pakistan's permanent representative in New York calls on the body to uphold the UNSC resolutions and urge India to stop acts that are in violation of international law.
Pakistan also urged the international community and UN to fulfil their commitment to the people of AJK by holding an independent and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
India's Geospatial Information Regulation Bill
The bill, which is up for public consultation, was published on the home ministry's website earlier this month and lists penalties, including a prison term of up to seven years and a fine of one billion rupees.
“No person shall depict, disseminate, publish or distribute any wrong or false topographic information of India including international boundaries through Internet platforms or online services or in any electronic or physical form,” the draft Geospatial Information Regulation Bill says.
The new bill also states that a licence will be needed to “acquire, disseminate, publish or distribute” maps, meaning services like Google Maps and Apple Maps could have to apply for permits.
Anyone wanting to use India's geospatial image outside the country will also have to secure permission.
Last year, the government took the Al Jazeera news channel off air for nearly a week, saying it had repeatedly shown incorrect maps of Kashmir.
In 2011 it ordered The Economist magazine to cover up a map of disputed borders in Kashmir. The news weekly placed white stickers over a diagram of the borders in 28,000 copies on sale in India. Google has also run into problems with Indian authorities over maps.
In 2014, the national surveying agency filed a complaint against the company for displaying varying maps of India on its different country webpages.
The government has invited comments and suggestions from the public on the new draft, which will likely be tabled in the next session of parliament in July.
Comments (159) Closed
Proud to be Indian, we are doing it because we are capable of doing that. Good job.
Indian bill in indian parliament. Internal issue of india. What pakistan has to do with that?
This is the way a nation assert its sovereignty. After plebiscite it can be amended till then wait:)
Kashmir is an integral part of India. Uzbekistan recently showed the respect to India when they showed the map of whole Kashmir with India. Everyone must respect Indian Map.
Internal matter of India as the law is applicable in India.
Pakistan should also pass an exact same bill showing all of Kashmir as Pakistan and make it illegal for any private business and organization to show it anything but.
Let it be pass in assembly.
India has every right to claim entire J&K. If any country has any problem with this they may contact concerned so called international authority. UN.
in Pakistan everything happen around the India and that's call Development in Pakistani Politics
Good and legitimate move by Indian government
So India is trying to annex disputed territory by passing this silly law. Does this change the reality on the ground? NO. Don't fudge the reality on the ground by sneaking in this law, fix the reality on the ground by abiding by the UN resolutions. Let the Kashmiris decide what they want to do. What are you afraid of?
Pakistan must go to UNSC and call for an emergency meeting and demand this bill to be scrapped. No wishy washie concerns. Today if India passes this bill, tomorrow US senate may follow and then what we do. Put an end to this clever way of circumventing the Kashmir issue. US senate is blinded by Indian charm, so they wont give a toss for rights and wrongs at the moment. Israel have just tried similar trick with Golan heights and UN have rebuffed it.
india is doing what ever it can within the legal framework of international laws
This could have consequences not just for Pakistan but for China as well since link to China from Gawadar runs thru Azad Kashmir for CPEC project which India now cleverly is trying to redraw into it's own map.
Pakistan MUST make as much fuss about this in the UN as possible.
Lets see what UN has to say. UN has already told Pakistan in 2010 that plebiscite is not possible given the time that has passed and changes that have taken place over the years. for eg : This issue of Plebiscite is unnecessarily creating hatred in Pakistan towards India when this issue is stale. Let both countries stay put with whatever area they control and allow people if they want from Kashmir on either side to choose which country they wan to go as they missed the opportunity to take the decision in 1947.
When will you look past India and focus on your domestic shortcomings?
Kashmir is for Pakistan at the end...
Pak should finally realize that gone are the days of Proxy or conventional wars, its all about economy and country with more $$$ winning. India realized this against China and correcting the path
The best antidote to this dumbness is to flood India with maps showing India without Kashmir as part of India. Send the maps to all Indian institutions.
Good move by GOI.
@Zahid Khan USA is capable of annexing Iraq BUT would it be right according to international laws if it did that? NO.
Just because India can bully some organizations to agree to it's false version of history does not mean that this is the fact.
We will use all our writ to oppose this bill and I am sure with China,OIC,Russia and others on our side, India will lose face badly, newly elected mayor of London will support us firmly in our noble endevour.
@Desi Dimag You can redraw whatever map you want BUT I am sorry you ain't getting the whole of Kashmir.
@Light tunnel "Good and legitimate move by Indian government"
Cunning and illegitimate move by the GOI.
Who cares about an indian bill.
Indian efforts will not bear fruit, with China power rising , India hopes and aspirations will die untimely death.
@M. Siddique try doing that
I am damn sure EU,Russia,China,OIC,SE Asian Nations, South American Nations and even US will firmly oppose this bill in UN.
I am damn sure EU,Russia,China,OIC,SE Asian Nations, South American Nations and even US will firmly oppose this bill in UN.
Don't know why such fuss over something that is done INSIDE india. This is not some international law in making.
Army should step in immediately, politicians are fighting their own battles and are not worried about serious threats facing Pakistan today, dissolve the civilian govt and take control of Pakistan and ensure enemies threatneing Pakistan's integrity and soverignity are tackled .
We should defeat this bill at any cost , China and Pakistan have disputes with India and we should pass bill in UN showing disputed terroritories like J&K , Arunachal Pradesh and others as part of Pakistan and China respectively.
@Yabhati Pakistan No, read article again it is bill passed in UN to make it internationally binding, hence the grave concern.
Only Army can save Pakistan, politicians are busy grabbing wealth and will settle in foreign countries.
@Mudassar It will pass with flying colors. We have our GPS now so we can map the country more accurately, don't have to rely on other nations for maps!
@Zahid Khan Well said bro... M Proud of you
@naxalite no brother this is meant to pass in indian parliament. And pak is raising concern to UN
After the bill was passed Google Map has already corrected its map.
Remember the bill passed in Parliament becomes a law in India only, not even in J&K do these laws apply. This is an act for perception management, not sure what UN can do, better will be if Pakistan reaches out to BBc, CNN, Al Jazira and other global news agencies which run the world perception management.
This is purely an internal affair of India. You have no locus standi on the issue Sir.
Pakistan may also pass a similar legislation.
@Rahul "After the bill was passed Google Map has already corrected its map."
Sorry but it still shows it disputed with dotted lines and NOT as part of India.
keep dreaming Indians
@LOGIC Its not internal cause you want to grab the land of Kashmiris, who deserve a referendum.
Indian govt is within its right to pass a law regarding its territories. So asking any map printed in India or to be circulated in India comply with Govt directives is fair enough. What is unfair or would be unfair to ask companies like google or Apple to show maps as per India in international portals. Google already shows Indian version of J&K in google,co,in while dotted line version in google,com.
Pakistan has two options: 1. Go to UN, which already done, but doesn't make anything fruitful. India won't listen & global companies eager to do business in India will be forced to comply.
Count the likes in support of this bill v/s in oppose of this bill on this post itself and compare the strength here as well.
Not sure why India is so insecure.
The bill makes no difference to the maps seen outside of India where LOC and correct boundaries are shown by google and others. These maps should show reality and not some skewed vision by the GOI. If it makes Indians happy then let it be so. Next we will see an Indian bill showing Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh inside India as per RSS vision.
@Rahul Only inside India. GOI can not force them to do so worldwide. Please check maps elsewhere.
@Naeem Khan Soon. Very soon.
@Desi Dimag And during Modi's visit, Chinese state TV showed Indian map without Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. It cuts both ways. Please try and read news from more than one source. Selective vision of the world is dangerous.
Amazed to see that Dawn has more and more indian readers everyday. Good Job keep it up Dawn!!
Who cares? It will have no application outside India.
Wow! Now the government wants other other foreign organisations to live in their make believe 'pretend world'. Do what you want, but the reality is Azad Kashmir is under Pakistan's protection and IOK want freedom from India. Reality is, all of kashmir will be with Pakistan after UN plebiscite.
@Zahid Khan and making a laughing stock of yourselves. Plus no one will listen to india. Don't take undue advantage of wests humouring for their own purpose.
The money clout of india at play again. Foreign news agencies and publishers have to comply with the law or lose out the Indian market.
And what will UN do? UN could not stop.
@Shanker kashmir international issue, world has something to do with it. India cannot occupy another country and change falsified maps to depict lies.
@LOGIC see which flags fly in IOK and they are not indian.
The proposed Bill is an entirely internal legislative matter of India,
Pakistan parliament should also pass a bill showing all Kashmir Part of Pakistan and impose fine of 200 karore rupees, what is the problem, Pakistan also can issue a bill. The whole Kashmir is disputed land,
@Khwarezmi Pakistan lacks the political will to do that
@lafanga Apparently of reality!
@lafanga India is afraid of reality. They can't face it. So they make their own world and close their eyes thinking that their wish list is reality.
@naxalite this is a bill in Indian parliament. Only Indian parliamentarians can vote on behalf of their constituents
China does the same with its maps on Taiwan, Tibet, Mongolian areas etc all borders.
@lafanga To which dotted lines are you referring? Please check out google maps once again. link is Google.com/maps
Pakistan should show all Kashmir, Hydrabad Deccan , a part of Gujrat part of Pakistan.
All three places are still disputed.
@lafanga What is false version?Are you aware of history of kashmir.
The game is becoming interesting day by day. I am sure it will be difficult for CPEC to cross through GB.
@lafanga
I'd strongly recommend you to go through the points mentioned in the Kashmir resolution. I know nobody who comments about freedom of Kashmir has ever read that.
@Rahul Is that so? :D I'll check that out right now! :D:D
Our friend China shall veto this! Nice try though
What is the issue for Pakistan, if India wants each and every Indian map which is being shown, publish in "INDIA" must be as Indian Govt wants.
Take this ! A tight one.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pakistan-has-no-locus-standi-on-map-issue-india/articleshow/52310605.cms
Master stroke by India!
@Khwarezmi Try it and see, companies will leave the country.
India is unstoppable and far superior and powerful than Pak.. It's a small example...
It is purely internal matter of India. Why to interfere here.
This is seer waste of time. The Bureaucrats should focus on making our country great - in health, education, economy. This utter nonsense is diverting our attention from economy and growth. Forget about competing with India, now we lagging behind Bangladesh & Srilanka. Once upon a time, Pakistan was the growth leader in South Asia. If we keep up with this stupidity, even Afganistan will overtake us. The focus of this government is completely wrong.
Our friend China shall veto this! Nice try though@Hassaan
China will never interfere in other peoples border disputes.......too many issues of its own!
@Zahid Khan - I have never known any other nation uttering vows of 'pride'so much. For some such reassurance is necessary as some insecurities surly exist!
@Aakash "To which dotted lines are you referring? Please check out google maps once again. link is Google.com/maps"
Google.com address is based on geolocation which means if you are in India you are redirected to google.co.in and that is what you see. Google map that rest of the world sees outside of India shows a dotted line. So Google gives you what you want to see only in India to circumvent the restrictions and you think you own the entire Kashmir :)))
@Indian "What is false version?Are you aware of history of kashmir."
Forget what you or I think or believe in. Ask the Kashmiris what they want to do.
If anybody will be fined or jailed they will be indian citizens. What Pakistan has to do with this??
@Zahid Khan "Proud to be Indian, we are doing it because we are capable of doing that. Good job" If India pass a bill to show China its integral part whether China will become its part ? what a childish attitude. India has never been a united country except during the Ashoka period, Mughal's era and during British raj you cannot get rid of your history through such childish acts
@Uday Kulkarni Then why UN still consider Jammu and Kashmir a disputed region ?
@izhar Wait til then.
@zulfi.khan Stupidity is committed by the India not Pakistan we are just trying our best to remind them the ground realities which they have forgotten
@lafanga UN resolution cannot be implemented because of demographic changes in Pak Kashmir. Now no world leader will support the plebiscite as it can never be fair.
@Zak London mayor is selected to develop London and not confront maps with other countries. Have some sense
Their country their rules, don't like them don't go to India or don't deal with them.
@Khwarezmi Go for it!
You may call this a "silly" or "controversial" move, but you need to know that this is India's most clever and 'war proof' move.
Unfortunately, legality and illegality are defined by the barrel of guns and power, weeks are not protected, they are not even allowed to complaint.
@Desi Dimag - "respect" is earned, not demanded. Bully attitude never earns it!
It is India's internal matter period. Pakistan nor UNO has no say.
Kashmir is part of Pakistan. This is why it is a matter of Pakistan. Well done Pakistan, ask the UN to also give Kashmir independence! Pakistan Zindabad.
I do not understand, how can Pakistan interfere with the internal laws of India. Pakistan is free to impose such a fine in its land too.
@pakistani Are you fool or what? This bill is in Indian Parliament. So how the mentioned countries will oppose this bill?
@lafanga Heard about Simla Agreement? UN plebiscite is no longer relevant, has not been for 43 years.
We know for sure that in the end, all of Kashmir will be with Pakistan , in its entirety, so instead of re drawing maps again and again, India should just draw Azad and IOK kashmir as part of pakistan. It will save money and be the final map after UN plebiscite.
Since many day Pakistan officials are only busy in expressing concern. K4 missle test Ashwin intercepter And now on Map bill.
All are our internal matter.
Kashmir is the unfinished Agenda of "Takmil-e-Pakistan." If someone thinks that they can get it written on the piece of paper and Kashmir will become their's is living in a fools paradise.
@Vivek (Indore) "You may call this a "silly" or "controversial" move, but you need to know that this is India's most clever and 'war proof' move."
Are you naive or do you honestly think that by doing this India can reclaim the entire Kashmir? Israel tried it since 1967 and they have 10 times more political muscle in the world than India and they are still stuck.
You cannot rule over people against their will by redrawing maps on paper and imposing fines.
Pakistan should not get concerned about such petty matters. Pakistan should concentrate on building a sizeable defencive & offencive capabilities. Pakistan should not accept indian parliament passing a bill necessitating Pakistani flags to be bed with pure silk in india. Let them do whatever they do within their boundary, keep your teeth strong & healthy to grind the toughest seed.
The world mocks how insecure India truly is.
This maps policy only applies to India and India alone. India would be fool hardy to take it to UN or other international world bodies would would shun the idea. This applies only to maps in India so my question is, should our government care? Regular Pakistanis like me couldn't be more indifferent. Entertained by Indias insecurity? Perhaps.
@Desi Dimag Whatever Uzbekistan did was an unintentional mistake. No country in the world accepts India's position regarding Kashmir.
Nothing stops Pakistan to impose its maps in Pakistan, if not already done. No other country is disturbed by this Indian move except Pakistan.
@Uday Kulkarni UN and Ambesty international have also trashed India for the killing of 100,000 of my fellow Kashmiris. Fear is no policy surrender is no option.
@Khwarezmi which foreign companies come to Pakistan.
@Zak I thought u were a smart guy ..and then came this comment ..
Good move by India. Go for it.
@Desi Dimag Whatever Uzbekistan did was an unintentional mistake. No country in the world accepts India's position regarding Kashmir.@RAK
The problem is India doesnt care what the rest of the world thinks!
I just drew a map of Pakistan with the whole of kashmir showing part of Pakistan. Fine me
@Zahid Khan I bet the families of those killed in Gujarat and those lingering in refugee camps outside Muzafargarh are also very proud Induans. Kashmiris are not Indians by the way: they are Pakistanis by all accounts.
Any such attempt would be meaningless in the presence of Article 370 in the Indian Constitution. Unfortunately, our politicians have completely failed to understand the intrigues due to their selfish stances ever.
There we go again:(
This is called making fake fables or distorting the history. In reality there are two Kashmirs i.e AJK and IOK. Then these Indians moan that we teach distorted history whereas they themselves live in a la la land.
Just what is wrong with these corrupt Pakistani politicians??? India has passed a bill in THEIR own parliament and has nothing to do with Pakistan. If this is worrying Pakistan so much, Pakistan should pass a similar bill like this in their own parliament and make it a law themselves????
Perfect example of might is right.
India must focus on Article 370.
Let our neighbor live in fool's paradise. Ground reality won't change with the issuance of this law. Boundaries in reality would remain the same. It would be our neighbor's insult when tourists willing to visit the areas of AJK & GB will reach India only to find that those beautiful places are actually in Pakistan.
Uzbekistan then apologized and corrected the map.
Let India criminalize. History and Kashmiris are not on their side.
@Khwarezmi Very good idea.
@Mudassar And if UN refuses what Pakistan should do
Pakistan should also just pass the same bill and show Kashmir as a part of Pakistan it is not disputed it is a part of Pakistan and that is it.
@Hassaan China cannot vote in a bill in Indian parliament.
Wonderful step
@Desi Dimag ,Pakistan must also ban any book,magazine and maps showing J&K as part of India.It should also prosecute any organisation doing it anywhere in the world as UN has declared J&K as disputed territory.
Waiting for the plebiscite to take place, then everything will be crystal clear.
Tit for tat.Lets show Kashmir as part of Pakistan and junagarh,Hydrabad & Khalistan as independent states.
@Shanker, Indian Parliament bill is internal issue, but it becomes an external issue when the Indian government attempts to cheese our Sovereign territory as part of it's territorial claim.
You can't re-write history and you can't deny the Kashmiri people their birth right. How many people will you fight? How will you enforce this ridiculous law? Anyone with half a brain can pick up any encyclopedia Britannica atlas and check the actual global bounties and the disputed demarcation points of "KASHMIR".
India has a responsibility to the International Community, and as per International Law UNSC Resolution 47, “both India and Pakistan desire that the question of the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan should be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite”.
HRW: has repeatedly expressed concern about your government's treatment of Kashmiri natives: https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/24/india-military-court-fails-victims-kashmir-killings
Pakistan must go to UNSC and get a resolution passed for trying to change the status of Kashmir by stealth. Kashmir is a disputed area and will stay as such until the plebiscite is held there. Putting gun to Kashmir people and forcefully occupying lands and claiming its integral part of a thug country what a cheek.
If Kashmir people want to be part of India why not hold the plebiscite and get over with so peace can prevail. There are unfulfilled UN resolutions for that. Its not internal affair of India as some Indians are claiming on this forum. India can keep hold on to people by force but never forget times have changed and oppression will not last for ever.
Pakistan parliament can do the same and pass the resolution to the same effect.
How insecure india is....
India is becoming the new hegemon of the world
@Shanker It would be but the thing is that your maps depict what is disputed territory as your own. That is the problem other countries have.
@INDIAN We do. But every time, your leadership cowers away under the pretext of the Simla agreement.
@Rohit Quite clearly.
Kashmiris are ready to lay down their life what to talk aboout fine. Kick out Indian forces from the territory of Kashmir.
@DELHIITE! And neither you did !!
@Naeem Khan You know the business interest of companies like Google in India. They will be forced to do so. Also do you know who is chief of Google?
India is just following good practises of big countires. China already have similar law approved which is in force from 1st Jan 2016.in place of objecting Pakistan should study the laws of india and china and draft their own version.
@Khwarezmi Who are the private companies going to pakistan?? Even Pakistanis are not following their own law.
@M. Siddique Then what?
@Shehzad History of Kashmir is 5000 years old (Rishi Kashyap) which is beyond your imagination.
@Zak Elected mayor of London ??? The people of London elected him to serve the Pakistan or to serve the people of London ????
Is UN from some other planet?
This law is limited to India.. Pakistanis can continue using their own maps..
As a Pakistani, Pakistan has no rights to criticize Indian law and same applys to India. This is interfering with internal matters of sovereign States. India and Pakistan please grow up and show some maturity.
@Zak: Since when did Russia, one of India's largest defense partner and ally start taking sides with Pakistan? Even China will not side you in major moves against India as our bilateral trade is around $100 bn.
@Zak What london mayor has to do with our internal issue? Even China and our best frd Russia also didn't have any rights to poke their nose in our internal issues.
China has such laws already. The Chinese map shows Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as their part of sovereign country.
stop chasing India and concentrate on your on strategy.. Grow up.
Pakistani`propagandists sound like broken record or a spoiled child
Why are we even part of UN if they can't enforce referendum. Why are we so afraid! WHY!!
@Raja Ragu Raman on the contrary, pakistan is so powerful it has stumped india and rubbished it in international forums. India having lost the case of kashmir occupation have resorted to misrepresenting true situation.
@Robert the chinese are right, Aksai Chin was shown by last British surveyed map as part of China and teysul and yulsul have been part of China before British ocvupied it. India should stop invading other people's territories and live in peace. India is a nuisance.