Gilgit-Baltistan integral part of India, MEA

India on Sunday opposed Pakistan’s move to grant provisional provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan, saying the government firmly rejected Islamabad’s attempts to bring material changes to a part of Indian territory, “under its illegal and forcible occupation”.

The statment comes after the Imran Khan government announced the provisional provincial status for Gilgit-Baltistan.

India said Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, including Gilgit-Baltistan, are an integral part of India by virtue of the legal, complete and irrevocable accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the Union of India in 1947.

In a press conference the MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "Pakistan has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it."

"Such attempts by Pakistan, intended to camouflage its illegal occupation, cannot hide the grave human rights violations, exploitation and denial of freedom for over seven decades to the people residing in these Pakistan occupied territories," Srivastava said.

"Instead of seeking to alter the status of these Indian territories, we call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation, he said.