NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday strongly rejected Pakistan’s observance of the so-called “Youm-e-Istehsal”, calling it a “political absurdity” and accusing Islamabad of spreading malicious propaganda against the country.In a statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh “are, have always been, and shall forever remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”
August 5 decisions an internal matter: India
The MEA said the constitutional changes introduced on August 5, 2019 were entirely India’s internal matter and had led to “unprecedented socio-economic development, good governance and democratic empowerment” in the region.“Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on matters that are strictly internal to India,” the spokesperson said.The government said Pakistan’s attempts to raise the issue were aimed at diverting international attention from its own human rights record and its alleged support for terrorism.
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The MEA also alleged that the international community was witnessing the suppression of fundamental rights in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), claiming Pakistani security forces had resorted to “lethal violence, targeted killings and draconian bans” to suppress peaceful civil rights protests in the region.
‘Stop bloodshed, dismantle terror networks’
Calling Pakistan’s actions “hypocritical”, India urged Islamabad to stop the alleged bloodshed in PoJK, take “credible, verifiable and irreversible” action against terror networks operating from its soil, and vacate Indian territories under what it described as Pakistan’s “illegal and forcible occupation.”“Instead of engaging in predictable diplomatic theatre, Pakistan would be well-advised to stop the bloodshed in PoJK, take credible, verifiable, and irreversible action against terror networks operating from its soil, and immediately vacate all Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation. The world is not fooled by these orchestrated spectacles,” the MEA said.
