“No locus standi”: India slams Pakistan over resolution against J&K delimitation

New Delhi: India on Tuesday categorically rejected the “farcical resolution” passed by Pakistan's national assembly on the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir and said Islamabad has no locus standi to pronounce on or interfere in matters internal to India, “including the Indian territories under Pakistan's illegal and forcible occupation”.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a statement, said the entire territory of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has been, is and shall always remain an integral part of India. He also said the delimitation exercise in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir is a democratic exercise and added that it is regrettable that Pakistan instead of putting its own house in order, continues to interfere in India's internal affairs and engage in baseless and provocative anti-India propaganda.

The statement reads: "We categorically reject the farcical resolution passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on the subject of the delimitation exercise in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has no locus standi to pronounce on or interfere in matters that are internal to India, including the Indian territories under Pakistan's illegal and forcible occupation.”

“The entire territory of the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has been, is and shall always remain an integral part of India. The delimitation exercise in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is a democratic exercise based on the principles of extensive stakeholder consultation and participation.”

“It is regrettable that instead of putting their own house in order, the leadership in Pakistan continues to interfere in India's internal affairs and engage in baseless and provocative anti-India propaganda. We reiterate that Pakistan must immediately cease anti-India cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism; stop the grave and persistent human rights violations in Pakistan occupied Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh (PoJKL); refrain from effecting any further material changes in the status of PoJKL; and vacate the Indian territories that are under its illegal and forcible occupation.”

Pakistan's National Assembly had on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the order passed by the J&K Delimitation Commission. The resolution was moved by the Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Zardari which stated that the J&K Delimitation Commission order “is aimed at artificially altering the electoral strength of the Muslim majority in IIOJK”.

He also wrote to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over the Delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. India's response also comes a day after the MEA spokesperson categorically rejected the assertions made by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the delimitation exercise in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and asked the OIC to refrain from carrying out its “communal agenda vis-à-vis India at the behest of one country” – in reference to Pakistan. (UNI)