India has criticised Pakistan’s attempt of giving provincial status to the Pakistan-proclaimed, Gilgit-Baltistan also is known as PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir).
The Ministry of External Affairs said that territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India since 1947. Pakistan is trying to make changes in the area, India has rejected the attempt calling it an illegal move of concealing the terror activities taking place in the region. They have no right to alter the status of the illegally occupied territory, said India’s spokesperson. They have also asked Pakistan to evacuate the region.
India has strongly reacted to Pakistan’s bid of contesting elections in the so-called Gilgit-Baltistan region when the Pakistan Supreme court in 2018 had granted Islamabad the right to contest general elections in the region. Although the elections were scheduled to take place in August but are now delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now approved by Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan to contest elections for Gilgit-Baltistan on November 15.
Anurag Srivastava from the Ministry of External Affairs said that by calling the said territory theirs, Pakistan is seeking to mask the human right violations abd rejecting the freedom of the people living in these areas since independence.
The Prime minister of Pakistan announced granting provincial status to the region in his visit to Gilgit-Baltistan, hours after the announcement protests erupted in the region. Even the activitists in Gilgit-Baltistan are protesting as they don not want to be the part of Pakistan. They have accused Pakistan for exhauting their resources and not giving them their share of the money. For instance, in Muzaffarabad, a protest was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and Student Liberation front against the decision. The activists claim that they will not let Pakistan claim the territory even if it means to sacrifice their lives.
Apparently the China Pakistan Economic Corridor Infrastructural Development Plan, goes through the Gilgit-Baltistan region, making it necessary for Pakistan to have control on the area. For the fact that it is the only way for them to improve their economic and financial condition by economically connecting with China. They also have a Rs. 422 billion agreement with the China Power for the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam in Gilgit-Baltistan.
This is not the first time, Pakistan has tried to claim the territory as their own. In August, Pakistan had released a new political map claiming Indian territories as their own, such as adding Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Gujarat in their region, as per the 1948 plebiscite when the People of Junagadh voted to become the part of India and not Pakistan.
This shows the political absurdity of Pakistan by claiming territories of India with no legal or international validity. It is yet another failed attempt of Pakistan of illegally calling Indian territories as their own.
One more incident that shows Pakistan’s lack of political knowledge and ability of rule the country was when Pakistan’s National Assembly had asked the government to call their ambassador from France after their derogatory comments on Islam. However, it was later established that there was no ambassador posted in France currently. The ambassador had left France three months ago and was now posted in China. Yet another embarrassing moment for Pakistan.
There are countries in the world who also has rejected Pakistan’s move, such as Saudi Arabia, they have removed the Gilgit-Baltistan region from Pakistan’s map calling it Diwali gift for India.