ISLAMABAD:
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday categorically rejected remarks made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), terming them “baseless and misleading.”
FO was responding to Modi’s address in IIOJK earlier in the day, during which he accused Pakistan of attacking humanity and Kashmiri identity by targeting tourists in Pahalgam.
In a statement, the FO said such remarks were a deliberate attempt to divert international attention from the serious and persistent human rights violations being committed by Indian forces in the region.
“It is deeply regrettable that the Indian Prime Minister has once again levelled unfounded allegations against Pakistan regarding the Pahalgam incident, without offering any evidence,” the statement said.
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The statement reaffirmed Pakistan’s longstanding position that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory, the final status of which must be determined in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
“Statements and claims cannot alter the legal and historical reality of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” it added.
Responding to India’s claims of development in the occupied territory, the FO said such assertions stand in stark contrast to the situation on the ground, which is marked by a heavy military presence and systematic suppression of fundamental rights.
“There are arbitrary arrests being carried out, and systematic efforts are underway to alter the demographic composition of IIOJK, in clear violation of international law, including the Geneva Conventions,” the statement maintained.
The FO also reiterated Pakistan’s principled support for the Kashmiri people in their legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination. “Pakistan remains steadfast in its support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their inalienable right to self-determination,” it added.
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It further called on the international community, particularly the United Nations and global human rights organisations, to hold India accountable for its actions and to ensure that the Kashmiri people are granted their rights in accordance with international law and UNSC resolutions.
Earlier in the day, Modi alleged that Pakistan had targeted tourists in Pahalgam as part of a “conspiracy” to instigate communal unrest and disrupt the economic lifelines of the region. “Pakistan is against humanity, tourism, and the livelihood of Kashmiris and hence attacked tourists in Pahalgam,” he claimed.
He described the attack as an assault on “insaniyat and Kashmiriyat,” adding that “India will not bow to terrorism,” and that youth in the region were united in the fight against it.
