Pakistan’s foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood summoned Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria on Monday to the Foreign Office over the abrogation of Article 370.
In a historic move, Modi led Indian Government effectively revoked Article 370 in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The state was further bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Pakistan “rejected” India’s decision to scrap Article 370 and 35A and said that they would take up the issue with the US delegation who are scheduled to visit the country very soon.
Foreign Office said in a statement, “The Foreign Secretary conveyed Pakistan’s unequivocal rejection of these illegal actions as they are in breach of international law and several UN Security Council resolutions,” furthering, Pakistan’s “resolute condemnation of the unlawful actions aimed at further consolidating the illegal occupation” of Jammu and Kashmir was underscored.
Pakistan also condemned the “preceding pre-meditated steps”, which included lock-down of Kashmir, deployment of additional troops, the imposition of curfew, the house arrest of Kashmiri leaders and the suspension of communication services, it said in its statement.
The foreign secretary, Sohail Mahmood urged India to “halt and reverse its unlawful and destabilizing actions, ensure full compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, and refrain from any further action that could entail serious implications.”
Mahmood reiterated that Pakistan would continue to “extend political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people’s struggle for the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination.”
Flummoxed by India’s bold and pathbreaking decision, Pakistan said that it will exercise “all possible options” to counter the move and approach the International Court of Justice if need be.
Meanwhile, yesterday, a large number of Pakistanis, who had no idea what was transpiring back in India were taken aback by the government’s decision to do away with the partition relic of Article 370 and proceed in the direction of greater assimilation of the state with the Indian Union. Dejected Pakistanis took took to Twitter to vent their frustration.
The Reorganisation Bill, per which Article 370 has been scrapped and Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh declared Union Territories by the Modi government. It was tabled in the Upper House yesterday and passed with 125 Ayes, 61 Nos and 1 Abstain.
According to the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature while Ladakh will not. Both have been designated union territories.
