Pakistan rejects India's move to scrap Article 370, says 'will exercise all possible options to counter it'

Pakistan on Monday strongly rejected the Indian Government's decision to scrap Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and vowed to exercise all possible options, including appealing to the UN, to counter India's "illegal" and "unilateral" step. The Indian government on Monday abolished Article 370 and moved a separate bill to bifurcate the state into two separate union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Reacting to the announcement, Pakistan Foreign Office said "Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory". "No unilateral step by the Government of India can change this disputed status, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan," it said.

Pakistan strongly condemns and rejects the announcements made by the Indian Government regarding Jammu and Kashmir, it said. "As the party to this international dispute, Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps," it said.

Pakistan reaffirms its abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination, the statement said. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan would request and appeal to the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, friendly countries and human rights organisations not to remain silent on this issue.

The situation in Kashmir was more serious than before, Qureshi said. “We will consult our legal experts...,” he added. "There are several resolutions of the United Nations Security Council on this and they have accepted this as a disputed territory… Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee had accepted this as a disputed territory," said the foreign minister.

Qureshi said the move by India showed they no longer had any hope from Kashmiris. The foreign minister stressed that Pakistan like before would continue to support the Kashmiri people and history would prove India's decision wrong.

Pakistan on Sunday warned India that it is ready to respond to any "misadventure or aggression" by the Indian forces, as the country's top civil and military leadership discussed the sudden spike in tensions with New Delhi during a meeting of the National Security Committee.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that India is totally disregarding the international obligations and the country's "arrogance will only result in heightening the conflict dynamics in the region." Khan invited the attention of the world leaders and international bodies towards "irresponsible, unilateral and irrational behaviour" of the Indian leadership.

-PTI

Also Read: Scrapping of Article 370 by India unacceptable: Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif