As ties remain strained between the two countries, Pakistan on Tuesday expressed its “strong indignation” over India’s decision to hold the G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar on May 22-24. Islamabad also said New Delhi is exploiting its membership of an important international grouping to advance its “self-serving” agenda.

Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said, “India’s irresponsible move is the latest in a series of self-serving measures to perpetuate its illegal occupation of Jammu & Kashmir in sheer disregard of the UN Security Council resolutions, and in violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law. Pakistan vehemently condemns these moves.”

“Pakistan expresses its strong indignation over India’s decision to hold the G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar on 22-24 May 2023. Scheduling of two other meetings of a consultative forum on youth affairs (Y-20) in Leh and Srinagar...Is equally disconcerting,” it said.

“India’s irresponsible move is the latest in a series of self-serving measures... Pakistan vehemently condemns these moves,” it said.

Pakistan said such events cannot hide the reality of Jammu and Kashmir being an internationally recognised dispute that has remained on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for over seven decades.

The G20 tourism track meeting will be the first major international event to be held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Delegates from G-20 member states, guest countries and several international organisations have been invited to participate in the event as part of India’s G20 Presidency.

While the G20 member countries comprise Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European Union, India’s special invitee guest countries this time include Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the UAE.

Besides delegates from these countries, those representing international organisations such as UNWTO and International Labour Organisation are also expected to attend the Srinagar meet.

Islamabad also said, “For a country that has a grandiose vision about itself and its place in the world, India has once more demonstrated that it is unable to act as a responsible member of the international community,” the statement said.

Pakistan had earlier urged its allies Saudi Arabia, Turkey and China at the United Nations to stop the meeting. Pakistan had registered its protest in June 2022 when India announced that a working group meeting was going to be held in Srinagar. India declared the dates of the meeting on Friday last week.

India assumed the year-long presidency of the G20 in December last year and aims to host a leaders’ summit in New Delhi in early September. The G20 is an important forum of the world’s 20 major developed and developing economies.