Snubbing Pakistan’s attempts to internationalise India’s Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday that Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is an integral part of India, and its depiction on maps is entirely its legislative matter in which Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi. The MEA also rejected Pakistan’s repeated attempts to impose on the international community matters that India has always been open to address bilaterally with it.
The MEA’s reaction came after Pakistan sought the United Nation’s intervention on India’s proposed legislation in which wrong depiction of the Indian map could land the violators in jail for a maximum term of seven years with a fine of up to Rs 100 crore.
“The proposed Bill is an entirely internal legislative matter of India, since the whole of J&K is an integral part of India. Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi in the matter. The Government firmly rejects Pakistan’s repeated and increasing attempts to impose on the international community matters that India has always been open to address bilaterally with it.”
MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said after the Pakistan Foreign Office issued a statement in Islamabad on the Geospatial Bill.
Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday said it has expressed “serious concern” to the United Nations over a draft bill in the Indian Parliament with regard to the map of Kashmir and has asked the world body to uphold its resolutions and urge India to stop such acts which are in violation of international law.
“Pakistan has expressed serious concern with United Nations Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council, through letters from our Permanent Representative in New York, with regard to the Indian Government’s efforts to introduce a controversial Geospatial Information Regulation Bill in the Indian Parliament. In violation of UNSC resolutions, the official map of India has been depicting the disputed territory of Jammu & Kashmir as part of India which is factually incorrect and legally untenable. Through the passage of this Bill, the Indian Government would penalise the individuals and organizations that depict Jammu & Kashmir as a disputed territory as per the UNSC resolutions,” Pakistan FO said in a statement.