India on Thursday said any ‘unilateral attempt’ by Pakistan to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province and alter the boundary is completely unacceptable to it.
Reacting to reports that a committee headed by Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz has proposed status of a province to Gilgit-Baltistan, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said any such step would not be able to hide the illegality of Pakistan’s occupation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir, which it must vacate immediately.
“The position of the Government on Jammu and Kashmir is consistent and well known. The entire State of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India in 1947. It has been, is and will always be an integral part of India. A part of J&K has been under illegal occupation of Pakistan. Any unilateral step by Pakistan to alter the status of that part will have no basis in law and will be completely unacceptable. It will also be a violation of the agreement between the two countries to address all issues bilaterally through peaceful means, which was enshrined in Shimla Agreement of 1972 and reiterated through the lahore Declaration in 1999. Such a step will not camouflage the illegality of Pakistan’s occupation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir and the gravely concerning and serious human rights violations there, as well as denial of democracy to the people there,” Baglay said as he flagged the human rights violations in the Pak controlled areas.
Several human rights activists and agencies have raised the issue of human rights violation in Gilgit-Baltistan by Pak security forces. In fact, a prominent Gilgit-Baltistan activist Abdul Hamid Khan was at the United Nations recently to highlight brutality and killings by Pak security forces in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Under the present set-up Pakistan has four provinces -- Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a separate autonomous zone by Pakistan having its own regional Assembly and an elected Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, India rejected Pakistan’s statement on the acquittal of right-winged activist Swami Aseemanand in the Samjhauta Express train blast case while asking Islamabad to first bring to justice the masterminds of terror attacks in India who continue to roam freely in Pak streets.
“India completely rejects Pakistan’s effort and intention to meddle in our internal affairs, including in judicial process. Strong Indian democracy and justice system need no self-serving sermons, that too from a country like Pakistan," Baglay said.