No legal basis whatsoever, totally ab-initio: India slams Pakistan on attempting to hold elections in Gilgit Baltistan

Coming down heavily on Pakistan for attempting to hold general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, India on Thursday said that any action by Islamabad to alter the status of the military occupied so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan' has no legal basis whatsoever and is totally ab-initio.

Coming down heavily on Pakistan for attempting to hold general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, India on Thursday said that any action by Islamabad to alter the status of the military occupied so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan' has no legal basis whatsoever and is totally ab-initio. Speaking during a weekly briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "Any action by Pakistan to alter the status of the military occupied so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan' has no legal basis whatsoever and totally ab-initio. Our position has already been clear and consistent-- the entire territories of the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been and are an integral part of India and would remain so."

"Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on India's internal matters," he added. "It is very typical of Pakistan to use such fora to raise bilateral and contentious issues which is inconsistent with the principles and charter of such organisations and their meetings. What else can be expected of a country that indulges in cross-border terrorism as a part of its state policy?" he said.

The MEA further slammed Turkey for raising the issue of Kashmir at the General Assembly adding that it constitutes "gross interference into India's internal affairs". "You would have seen the right of reply exercised by our Permanent Mission in UN where we have stated inter alia that the remarks of the President of the Republic of Turkey on the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir constitute a gross interference in India's internal affairs and are completely unacceptable," he said.

"Turkey should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its own policies more deeply," he added. Last month, condemning Prime Minister Imran Khan for releasing Pakistan's new political map laying untenable claims to Indian territories, India had termed the act as an "exercise in political absurdity.

"We have seen a so-called "political map" of Pakistan that has been released by PM Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our union territories of Jammu Kashmir and of Ladakh," the Government of India had said in a stern statement. India also slammed Pakistan for their malafide intentions and said it confirms the reality of "Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism."

The Imran Khan government had released a new political map of Pakistan, claiming Indian territories of Junagadh, Sir Creek and Manavadar in Gujarat, of Jammu and Kashmir and a part of Ladakh. This came after the first anniversary of the Indian government's decision to revoke Article 370 which gave special powers to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)

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