India rejects ‘unwarranted references’ to J&K in the Pak-EU statement

New Delhi: India on Tuesday outrightly rejected “unwarranted references” to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement issued by Pakistan and the European Union (EU), reiterating that the matter is entirely internal to India and that those without any standing on the issue should refrain from commenting on it.

Addressing a weekly media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded to a question on the Joint Communique issued after the 8th Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue held in Islamabad on Monday, which stated that the Pakistani side briefed the EU on Jammu & Kashmir.

“We categorically reject such unwarranted references in the joint press communique on matters internal to India. The union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. Those who have no locus standi on such matters should desist from making any comment on them,” said Jaiswal in a strongly-worded statement.

This marked yet another attempt by Pakistan to internationalise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir despite India’s repeated assertion that it is an internal matter.

Last week, India had slammed the “unwarranted references” to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement issued by China and Pakistan following a meeting between the leaders of the two countries in Beijing, stressing that no other country has the locus standi to comment on the same.

“India categorically rejects unwarranted references to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the Joint Statement between China and Pakistan,” New Delhi had made it clear while responding to media queries on the issue.

“India’s position is consistent and well known to the concerned parties. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are, and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. “No other country has the locus standi to comment on the same,” it added.

IANS