Map Bill issue internal matter, no Pak business to take it to UN: India

NEW DELHI/ ISLAMABAD: India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for taking to the UN the issue of its proposed law against wrong depiction of India maps, saying the Bill was its internal matter and Islamabad had no business in it. ”The proposed Bill is an entirely internal legislative matter of India, since the whole of the state of J&K is an integral part of India. Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi in the matter,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said here in reaction to a statement issued by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad . He said India saw no need of internationalising any matter that could be resolved by the two countries bilaterally. ”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 Pakistan.”The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016 has been prepared in the light of certain social networking sites showing Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of Pakistan and China respectively. It provides for a jail term of seven years and a fine of up to Rs 100 crore for wrong depiction of the Indian map. In Islamabad, the Foreign Office said, ”Pakistan has expressed serious concern to the United Nations Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council, through letters by 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.” The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016 has been prepared in the light of certain social networking sites showing Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as part of Pakistan and China respectively. (PTI)