Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 5: India on Wednesday strongly rejected Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s remarks on the so-called ‘Youm-e-Istehsal’, accusing Islamabad of attempting to spread misinformation and divert global attention from its own human rights record.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India categorically rejects Pakistan’s “political absurdity” and its attempts to use the observance as a platform for malicious propaganda against India.
Jaiswal reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “are, have always been, and shall forever remain” an integral and inalienable part of India.
“The constitutional changes made on August 5, 2019, are entirely an internal matter of India. These decisions have brought unprecedented socio-economic development, good governance and democratic empowerment to the people of the region. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on matters that are strictly internal to India,” he said.
The MEA spokesperson said Pakistan’s attempts to push what he described as false narratives were aimed at deflecting attention from its own human rights record and its position as a centre of terrorism.
“The international community is currently witnessing the brutal suppression of fundamental rights in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Recent weeks have seen Pakistani security forces resort to lethal violence, targeted killings and draconian bans to silence peaceful civil rights protests led by the local populace,” Jaiswal said.
He accused the Pakistani establishment of hypocrisy, stating that state-sponsored violence against unarmed civilians exposed the situation in PoJK.
“Instead of engaging in predictable diplomatic theatre, Pakistan would be well-advised to stop the bloodshed in PoJK, take credible, verifiable and irreversible action against terror networks operating from its soil, and immediately vacate all Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation. The world is not fooled by these orchestrated spectacles,” Jaiswal added.
India on Wednesday marked the anniversary of the constitutional changes introduced on August 5, 2019, which ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Articles 370 and 35-A and integrated the region fully into the Indian Union.
Seven years after the abrogation, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed notable growth in infrastructure, education, tourism and connectivity sectors, according to the government.
Meanwhile, Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed protests, administrative crackdowns and public unrest against authorities, with New Delhi alleging widespread economic exploitation and denial of fundamental rights in the region.
India has maintained that the electoral exercises conducted in PoJK are merely attempts by Pakistan to conceal its illegal occupation and alleged human rights violations.
“As we have stated earlier, the ongoing mass protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir are the direct consequences of its economic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights to the people, and administrative oppression,” Jaiswal had stated earlier.