ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday said Kashmir was s as n internationally recognised dispute and India cannot change this status.
Pakistan also rejected the order issued by the Indian Supreme Court, which upheld its previous ruling endorsing the Indian government’s illegal unilateral decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in 2019.
“We reject the recent order of the Indian Supreme Court just as we had rejected the earlier decision of December 11, 2023. Both verdicts fail to acknowledge the internationally recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during her weekly news briefing.
She emphasized that the Indian Supreme Court’s judgments cannot divert the international community’s attention from the severe and systemic human rights violations occurring in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Baloch reiterated that the people of Kashmir have an inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the UN Security Council resolutions. She further asserted that India has no authority to unilaterally decide the status of a disputed territory against the will of the parties involved—namely, the Kashmiris and Pakistan.
The spokesperson welcomed recent announcements by Ireland, Spain, and Norway recognizing the state of Palestine, following similar declarations by the Bahamas, Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados.
She described this development as a significant milestone in the long-standing quest of the Palestinian people for self-determination. Baloch noted that the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation underscore the urgent need for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
She urged the UN Security Council to act in accordance with the widespread recognition of Palestine by the majority of UN member states.
Highlighting recent diplomatic engagements, Baloch mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he met with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and engaged with investors and entrepreneurs.
During this visit, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the effective implementation of investment cooperation agreements in various sectors, including energy, port operations, wastewater treatment, food security, logistics, minerals, and banking & financial services. The UAE president also pledged $10 billion in investments across multiple sectors in Pakistan, she elaborated.
She recounted Prime Minister Sharif’s visit to Iran to offer condolences following the demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials. During this visit, the prime minister met with the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Acting President Mohammad Mokhber, extending condolences on behalf of the Pakistani government and people.
Baloch spoke about Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Astana for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting, followed by a visit to Bishkek with the Kyrgyz foreign minister, focusing on the welfare of Pakistani nationals affected by recent mob violence.
She highlighted the recent visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his meetings with PM Shehbaz, the Senate Chairman, military leadership, and delegation-level talks with Foreign Minister Dar. Both sides evaluated preparations for the forthcoming Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting.
Baloch said Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov, was scheduled to visit Pakistan from May 29-30 to meet with the leadership and hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
