New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday slammed Pakistan’s move to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province and said the whole of Jammu and Kashmir, including areas under Pakistan’s occupation, is an Indian territory.
The minister’s response came in the Lok Sabha after the issue was raised by Biju Janata Dal member Bhartruhari Mahtab during Zero Hour.
Mahtab questioned the government response to Pakistan’s move, and said both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha should pass a resolution to condemn the development.
“The Pakistan government has unilaterally decided to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province. At the time of Partition, a British political agent in charge of Gilgit and Baltistan allowed Pakistani soldiers to take over the area, even though Indian Constitution recognises Gilgit-Baltistan as an integral part of our country,” Mahtab said.
He said the British Parliament had recently passed a resolution to condemn Islamabad’s move, saying the region is part of Jammu and Kashmir, and illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1947.
In response, Sushma Swaraj said India rejects Pakistan’s move, and added that the government’s stand on Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India should not be doubted.
“This government has always said that Kashmir, where (Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad) Mookerjee was martyred, is ours. There should be no doubt,” she said.
In a separate written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on the issue, MoS for External Affairs V.K. Singh said that any attempt to alter the status of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is completely unacceptable. (IANS)
