Reacting belatedly, India on Friday objected to US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome’s recent visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) where he repeatedly referred to the region as “Azad Jammu and Kashmir”. New Delhi holds that the region was forcibly occupied by Pakistan in 1947.
“Our objections to the visit and meetings in PoK by the US envoy have been conveyed to the US side,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Blome’s was the second high-profile visit by a US diplomat to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Earlier this year, US Congresswomen Ilhan Omar visited PoK evoking a strong protest from India.
In a strongly worded statement, India had then said, “She visited a part of Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan. If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home that may be her business, but violating our territorial integrity in its pursuit makes it ours.”
India asserts PoK is part of India and Pakistan must vacate and end its illegal occupation. A few months ago, Defence minister Rajnath Singh said ” Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a part of Indian territory and will continue to be so.”
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said that the government has seen reports about third countries participating in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Projects, and any such activity by any party directly infringed on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Baghchi had said India firmly and consistently opposes projects in the “so-called CPEC, which are in Indian territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan”. “Such activities are inherently illegal, illegitimate and unacceptable, and will be treated accordingly by India,” the official statement added.