New Delhi: India on Thursday termed as “entirely unacceptable” any possible attempt by Pakistan to declare the Gilgit-Baltistan region, bordering disputed PoK, as the fifth province.
Reacting sharply to reports that a committee headed by Pakistan’s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz has proposed status of a province to Gilgit-Baltistan, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said any such step would not be able to hide the illegality of Pakistan’s occupation of (PoK) parts of Jammu and Kashmir which it must vacate, forthwith. Noting that the issue pertains to the sovereignty of India, he said the government’s position is very well known on the matter.
“The entire state of J&K is an integral part, has been an integral part and will be an integral part of India. No attempt or unilateral attempt or step to change that would have any legal basis, whatsoever, and it will be entirely unacceptable. Any such step would not be able to hide the illegality of Pakistan’s occupation of parts of J&K which it must vacate, forthwith. It will also not be able to hide the tremendous, very concerning human rights violations and denial of freedom that has been going on in parts controlled by Pakistan for the last 70 years,” the spokesperson said.
According to sources, Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a separate geographical entity by Pakistan. It has a regional assembly and an elected chief minister. At present, Pakistan has four provinces — Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baloch-istan. It is believed that China’s concerns about the unsettled status of Gilgit-Baltistan prompted Pakistan to explore change in its status.
