Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Indian government’s move to abolish Article 370 gave a special status to the occupied valley under the constitution has been strongly condemned and rejected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release stated that Indian occupied Kashmir was an internationally recognised disputed territory and added:

“No unilateral step by the Government of India can change this disputed status, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan,” said the press release.

“As the party to this international dispute, Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps,” it added.

The Foreign Office had made it clear that Pakistan stands firm in the fight for the political rights of the Kashmiris and are ready to provide diplomatic moral support inhabitants of the occupied valley. The Foreign Office said that Pakistan has always backed the inalienable right to self-determination by the Kashmiris.

The statement further added “Pakistan strongly condemns and rejects the announcements made today by the Indian Government regarding the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir,”

“The Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory. No unilateral step by the Government of India can change this disputed status, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan.

The FO also stated that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations (UN) had been briefed about the issue.

PM Imran Khan as also called for a joint parliamentary emergency session to take up the Kashmir issue.