An absurd exercise, says India as Pakistan unveils 'new map’

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 4

India on Tuesday described Pakistan’s new “political map” as an exercise in political absurdity. “These ridiculous assertions” of laying claims to parts of Gujarat and the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have neither legal validity nor international credibility, said the Ministry of External Affairs.

“In fact, this new effort only confirms reality of Pakistan’s obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism,” added the statement.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi by his side, embarked on a new attempt to rake up the Kashmir dispute.

Qureshi’s last week’s attempt at the UN had failed to yield dividends. The UN Security Council discussed Kashmir but behind closed doors last week with no records kept of the meeting, said India’s UN Permanent Representative TS Tirumurti.

The “new political map” was another attempt to internationally project the Kashmir issue as a dispute ahead of the first anniversary of rearrangement of J&K, said sources.

Qureshi said the “official map” would now be used in schools and colleges. Giving a commentary on the map’s salient features, he said Kashmir borders had been kept open-ended as it was a disputed territory. The map also includes an eastward shift of the disputed Sir Creek in Gujarat and a claim over the Siachen Glacier.

India has maintained all that remains to be discussed on Kashmir is the return of territories occupied by Pakistan.