ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Monday summoned an Indian diplomat over Delhi’s reaction to the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s verdict in a petition relating to polls in Gilgit-Baltistan.

“It was clearly conveyed (to the Indian diplomat) that the Indian claim over the occupied state of Jammu and Kashmir as an ‘integral part’ of India had no legal basis whatsoever,” the FO said in a statement.

The “disputed” status of Kashmir, the Indian diplomat was told, is recognised by the international community.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier in its reaction to the Supreme Court decision on a petition about upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan summoned a Pakistani diplomat and claimed that “the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, were an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession”.

The MEA had further contended that the Pakistan government or its judiciary “has no locus standi” on these territories.

The Supreme Court had on Thursday, while deciding a government petition seeking amendments to the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order, 2018, to conduct general elections, allowed holding of polls under the Election Act, 2017, and installation of a caretaker government for this purpose.

The FO reminded that the Kashmir dispute, which is the longest outstanding item on the Security Council’s agenda, resulted from India’s forcible and illegal occupation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 in complete violation of the international law and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“No subsequent illegal and unilateral Indian actions could or have altered the status of Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory,” it added.

India was told that its contention about Gilgit-Baltistan could neither cover up atrocities being perpetrated by Indian occupation forces against innocent, unarmed Kashmiris in IOK, nor could they succeed in diverting the attention of the international community from the Indian state terrorism and aggravating human rights situation in IOJ&K.

India was urged to reverse its illegal actions in occupied Kashmir, end occupation of the territory and allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their right to self-determination as enshrined in the UNSC resolutions.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2020