Pakistan rejects Indian SC orders failing to recognise IIOJK’s disputed status: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected the fresh order of the Indian Supreme Court upholding its earlier ruling that had endorsed the Indian government’s unilateral decision of revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution through legislation in 2019.

“We reject the fresh order of the Indian Supreme Court just as we had rejected the earlier order of December 11, 2023. Two verdicts fail to recognise the internationally recognised disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir…Indian Supreme Court judgments cannot distract the international community’s attention from the gross and systemic human rights violation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at her weekly press briefing.

She said the Kashmiris had an inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the UN Security Council’s resolutions, the official news agency reported.

India has no right to make unilateral decisions on the status of a disputed territory against the will of parties in the dispute –Kashmiris and Pakistan, she added.

The spokesperson welcomed the announcement by Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognise the Palestine state, following a similar announcement by Bahamas, Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados, and called it a milestone in the decades-old quest of the Palestinian people for their right to self-determination.

She said that the Gaza genocide and dire humanitarian situation underlined the urgency of the establishment of an independent Palestine state with Quds Al-Sharif as the capital.

The spokesperson told the media that the Palestine state was recognised by an overwhelming majority of UN member states which necessitated the UN Security Council to move positively in that direction.

Highlighting the diplomatic engagements during the previous week, she mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the United Arab Emirates where he met President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, besides interacting with investors and entrepreneurs.

In his meeting with the UAE president, the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to ensure meaningful implementation of investment cooperation agreements in energy, port operations projects, wastewater treatment, food security, logistics, minerals, and banking and financial services.

The UAE president also committed that his country would invest $10 billion in multiple sectors in Pakistan.

She also mentioned the prime minister’s visit to Iran to offer condolence on the demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and others. During the visit, the prime minister met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Acting President Mohammad Mokhber to offer condolence on behalf of the government and the people of Pakistan.

She apprised the media of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Astana to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting and later to Bishkek along with the Kyrgyz foreign minister with a main focus on the welfare of Pakistani nationals affected by the mob violence there.

She also highlighted the recent visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his meetings with PM Shehbaz, the Senate chairman and military leadership along with delegation-level talks with Foreign Minister Dar. The two sides also assessed preparations for the Pakistan-Turkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council to be held here soon.

The spokesperson informed the media that Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov is scheduled to visit Pakistan from May 29-30 to meet the leadership and hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.