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Pakistan affirms claim to IHK, Junagadh and Manavadar with new map

The Newspaper's Staff Reporter
Updated 05 Aug 2020
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ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi meets opposition leaders just before the commencement of a conference on the Kashmir situation at the Foreign Office on Tuesday.—White Star


• PM hails map as first step towards resolution of Kashmir dispute
• Region’s description changed to Indian Illegally Occupied J&K

ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday unveiled a new political map of the country essentially asserting its longstanding position on Kashmir and Sir Creek disputes.

“It is a historic occasion. The political map reflects our national aspiration and supports our principled stance on Kashmir dispute,” Prime Minister Imran Khan said while introducing the map. He was on the occasion accompanied by his foreign policy, national security and information ministry aides.

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The map was launched after the approval by the federal cabinet. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had earlier in the day briefed the legislators from opposition parties on the map during a meeting at the Foreign Office.

The new map was made public a day before Pakistan observes the first anniversary of annexation of occupied Kashmir.

India had annexed the held territory on Aug 5 last year by revoking articles 370 and 35A of its constitution, which had provided special status to occupied Kashmir and rights and privileges to Kashmiris.

The inauguration of the new map is, moreover, believed to be a response to India, which launched its own political map on Oct 31 last year after bifurcation of the disputed territory into so-called Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and that of Ladakh. India had through its map claimed the entire disputed area, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as part of its territory.

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The Indian map was on that occasion rejected by China, Pakistan and Nepal.

PM Khan hailed the new map as the “first step” towards resolution of the nearly 73-year-old dispute. He, however, emphasised that Pakistan believed in a political solution to the dispute. He said the map rejected India’s illegal action of annexing held Kashmir.

Foreign Minister Qureshi, on this occasion, gave a presentation on the features of the new political map. He said the map clearly showed the disputed area, whose status Pakistan wanted to be decided in accordance with the UN resolutions and aspirations of the people of held Kashmir.

“It is first time that the aspirations of Pakistani nation and our stated position on the dispute are being given with such clarity,” he maintained.

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Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf, while talking to Dawn later, said the map asserted Pakistan’s claim on the territory, but had in no way suggested that the region was part of Pakistan. “We have just said that the dispute has to be resolved in accordance with UN resolutions,” he added.

Entire Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir had been given in the same green colour to show that it’s one territory, Mr Yusuf said, adding that the map also showed the changed nomenclature.

The government has changed the description of occupied region from Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It has been further clearly stated on the map that the region is disputed territory, whose “final status is to be decided in line with relevant UNSC resolutions”.

Mr Yusuf said the international boundary on the eastern side had been extended up to the undefined frontier to demarcate Indian territory of Himchal Pardesh from the disputed part of Jammu and Kashmir.

‘Frontier Undefined’ is another description that has been added to the map.

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Mr Yusuf said it annotated that it would be defined after the Kashmir dispute was settled.

The claim on Junagadh and Manavadar too has been underscored. Moreover, an administrative boundary separating AJK and GB has also been inserted in the map.

Foreign Minister Qureshi at the ceremony held to inaugurate the map said the Line of Control had been extended and connected with the Chinese border. “This makes it clear that Siachen is ours,” he maintained.

An official, meanwhile, explained that the new map represented the position on Sir Creek, according to Sindh government’s agreement with the State of Kutch in 1914, demarcating the boundary on the Eastern Bank of Sir Creek.

Mr Qureshi said it negated Indian position with regards to Sir Creek. “India was cleverly trying to occupy hundreds of kilometers of our Exclusive Economic Zone,” he added.

The new map furthermore shows erstwhile Fata as part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Fata was merged with KP in May 2018 after 25th Amendment to the Constitution.

Indian reaction
Indian Ministry of External Affairs rejected the map as 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”.

A statement issued from New Delhi said: “These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility.”

FO response
The Foreign Office categorically rejected the statement made by the Indian external affairs ministry on Pakistan’s political map. “Through sophistry and obfuscation, India cannot create a smokescreen for its illegal and unacceptable actions in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir, including those taken since Aug 5, 2019. It is preposterous for a country that is compulsively expansionist, and a brazen practitioner of state-terrorism, to level charges against others,” the FO spokesperson said in a statement.

It said India had been in illegal occupation of parts of Jammu & Kashmir since 1947 and had continuously violated UN Security Council resolutions for decades. Despite its brutal suppression of Kashmiris for over 72 years, India had been unable to force them into submission, it added.

“Pakistan’s position remains clear and unambiguous. The solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute lies in the realisation of the Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations. The government, leadership and people of Pakistan remain firmly committed to the solution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. The political map issued by Pakistan emphatically reaffirms this abiding commitment,” the FO said.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2020
 
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India should be called "Territories of India", describing it as a "region" instead of "a state". We know there are several states in the Indian region that want freedom from the "Indian Government's" occupation. By calling India a "Region" or "Territory" emphasises that it is "a group of Nations" and "a group of states" instead of one country or one Nation.

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no it simply mean that we will negotiate the frontier of Pakistan and China in Ladakh region officially sidelining the India in this matter same as Shaksam valley ..... listen Shah Mahmood in the video 6:30 onward

Not After the "Independence" [which is the proposed third option] but after the "Resolution" of Kashmir as per UN Resolution [for this listen exact words of Shah Mahmood @7:12]

BTW with this move Pakistan has closed all possibilities of any negotiations on 2nd, 3rd or even 4th Option related to Kashmir dispute ....

Thanks for the correction @HRK, I have corrected wordings in my post.
 
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Hoping that this matter can be resolved at some point - sooner the better.
 
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Did you listen Imran Khan speech? He clearly said that all war options are exhausted and from now on only political solution to the Kashmir problem.

political solutions like 30 mins protest or 1 min silence ???
if that is the case then sorry to say, why were our forefathers unaware of these. Why Quaid didn't do that.
Btw i m a very strong supporter of Imran Khan, but i protest against his this political solutions and i'll going on silence mode for 1 min as a protest.
 
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Including Junagadh and Manavadar is correct decision by Pakistan govt. and a big slap on Modi's face. He is reaping of what he sowed. First Nepal, Now Pakistan. Junagadh's Muslim ruler acceded to Pakistan but Bharat refused to acknowledged that and forcefully occupied that territory on the ground of being Hindu majority. Then why the Indian hypocrite object Pakistan's refusal to recognize Kashmir's Raja's accession to India contrary to the wishes of his majority Muslim subjects? With same principle, Pakistan has a right to militarily occupy entire Jammu & Kashmir.

Simple answer, hypocrites don't follow logics.
 
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I don't like this map at all. Both gilgit and iok in green with absolutely no visible boundary. After abrogation,we still want UN resolution. A UN who don't give importance to any resolution and who can't implement it. Why we still crying for UN resolution? Look at India.they call entire Kashmir their integral part. Why we can't call Kashmir integral and show the same thing on map? By putting both gilgit and iok in green,Pak accepted our gilgit as disputed as well. International community might like indian narrative now. And what happens to ladakh in the map? Open for whom? Gunagadh and sir Creek is a welcome step but overall this map is a disappointment.
Thats a good point. We should had called it our land. All of it, instead of calling it disputed and adding own controlled area to it.
 
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Regret to say that IMHO this is an exercise in futility. Just because India showed all of Kashmir & Gilgit Baltistan as Indian territory on their new map must we also follow this senseless example?

We can issue a map showing Iran, Afghanistan, and even Bangladesh as part of Pakistan. Does it change reality?
 
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The publishing of political map, speeches, march etc are all fine symbolic gesture but it will not gain any substantive result. The last few decades policy of lip service by mostly political leaders and out sourcing the actual fighting to religious bigots likes of Let, HuM etc could not produce any substantive results. This policy may have worked well in Afghanistan as it s much backward religious minded tribal society. But people of Kashmir is much more sophisticated, liberal, secular and democratic minded. So the arm as well civil struggle have to take their inspiration and people mindset in account. The current Kashmir policy is failed one. The army is just manning the LOC to continue with status queue and abetting now and then some small scale insurgency here and there. The Modi governments of August 5 action has given new life for Kashmir struggle. Pakistan government should improve the game plan. I would suggest following:

1. A dedicated Kashmir origin envoy with an office of capable small team of opinion makers and shapers with media and internet tools (youtube, twitter, facebook etc) should be appointed for Kashmir narrative in government, public ( office holders, intellectuals, journalist etc) and diaspora label engagements in US, UK, Europe and middle East. There should be Kashmir chapter and students wings in major world cities and universities. Kashmir origin specially IOK origin diaspora in US, UK, Europe and middle East should be more organized, involved and indoctrinate for Kashmir cause and counter the Indian narratives and RAW paid agents.

2. The army should have a dedicated Kashmir regiment with mandatory conscription in AJK and GB. All 18 - 30 years over boys and men (and why not girls as well) should have basic military training, civil defense as well as indoctrination for 1 year to 1.5 years. After completing the compulsory training about 20-30% of these most capable conscripts can be recruited for Kashmir regiment for 15-20 years service with advance special operations, mountain warfare, snow warfare and urban warfare as well as organizing civil urban struggle. The rest can be serve in a volunteer service and civil defense with every 3 to 5 years intervals of refreshment short courses.

3. Pakistan with help of China should have a communication system in IOK based on Beidu satellite SMS or other technology for one to one or group communication which can not be blocked or intercepted by India easily.
 
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Regret to say that IMHO this is an exercise in futility. Just because India showed all of Kashmir & Gilgit Baltistan as Indian territory on their new map must we also follow this senseless example?

We can issue a map showing Iran, Afghanistan, and even Bangladesh as part of Pakistan. Does it change reality?
Well, if thats the case, then lets show only 2, 3 cities of Pakistan in Pakistani Map and rest can be added to other countries map.
 
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Well, if thats the case, then lets show only 2, 3 cities of Pakistan in Pakistani Map and rest can be added to other countries map.

Sir, do you really think that showing all of Kashmir in Pakistan will make India handover Kashmir over to us?

I was only emphasizing that unilaterally enlarging Pakistan's map is a pointless exercise because the whole state of Jammu & Kashmir, including Azad Kasmir, had been declared as 'Disputed Territory' by the UN since 1948 ceasefire. That is why the boundary is called the 'Line of control' and not the international border like the border at Wagah. However, I humbly beg your forgiveness if my remarks hurt your feelings.

Until now IOK was not shown as Pakistan territory for a good reason. However, Imran Khan realized that empty gestures make many naive Pakistanis happy, hence this gimmick.
 
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