New Delhi: Hours after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that the Kashmir issue will be “solved” only once the “stolen part of Kashmir” under illegal occupation of Pakistan is returned to India, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said when the Indian government will bring the portion which is with Pakistan it should also bring back those parts of J&K that are with China. Abdullah questioned why the government focuses only on PoK while ignoring Chinese control over parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Go ahead, who is stopping you? China also has a part, bring that back too,” Abdullah said in the Assembly Thursday.
“One portion is with Pakistan and today the foreign minister has said they will bring back the portion of Kashmir (controlled by Pakistan). Did we ever stop them? If you (central government) can bring it back, then do it now… when the Kargil War happened what did we get? You had an opportunity to bring back (PoK) at that time … why didn’t you… Doesn’t matter … bring it back today. Who among us will say don’t bring it back,” he said.
Abdullah added, “When you see the map of J&K you see that one portion is with Pakistan, but another is with China, why doesn’t anyone talk about that? Please do us a favour … when you bring that portion (which is with Pakistan) also bring the one that is with China.”
Omar’s remarks appear to be a reference to Shaksgam valley, which Pakistan ceded to China in 1963 as part of a border agreement. India still considers the Shaksgam valley a part of Indian territory.
Speaking at The Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London, Jaishankar said that normalcy would return to Kashmir once Pakistan returns “the stolen part of Kashmir, which is under illegal Pakistani occupation”.
Reacting to Jaishankar’s remarks, JKNC leader Tanvir Sadiq told ThePrint, “Anyone who thinks that scrapping Article 370 erased the sentiments in J&K is living in an illusion.
If resolving the issue were that simple, we wouldn’t still be having this conversation. And if the Government of India believes reclaiming PoK is within its reach, let’s see action, not just rhetoric. Empty slogans won’t change the ground reality.”
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‘Economical with truth’
Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP, Manish Tewari said, “Under the Congress government in 1994, and again in 2012 Parliament had unanimously passed a resolution stating that the PoK and the northern areas are an inalienable part of J&K, Jaishankar forgot to mention the northern areas Gilgit and Baltistan.”
“Unfortunately, the EAM is very economical with the truth these days. He did not talk about the commitment given by the Union of India to the Supreme Court when it was hearing the Article 370 matter, that statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be restored soonest. What happened to the statehood of J&K? Why has this not been restored?” Tewari asked.
He added, “I am surprised he forgot to mention the northern areas Gilgit and Baltistan. He only confined it to PoK. Does that mean that the Government of India has changed its position from the entire erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir being an inalienable part of the Indian Union, to only PoK being returned? Are they giving Gilgit and Baltistan to Pakistan? In fact the EAM’s statement is very alarming.”
In his address in London Jaishankar said, “On Kashmir, we have done.., I think good job solving most of it. I think removing Article 370 was step number one. Then restoring growth, economic activity and social justice in Kashmir was step number two. Holding elections, which were done with a very high turnout was step number three. I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir, which is only under illegal Pakistani occupation. When that’s done, I assure you Kashmir will be solved.”
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit too reiterated that the EAM’s statement has been the stance of the Indian government since 1948. “As far as PoK is concerned, the policy of the Government of India since 1948 has been that this is wrong, completely illegal…Kashmir acceded to us, the Maharaja had signed documents and merged Jammu and Kashmir with the country. Pakistan forcibly occupied it. Every Indian wants PoK to be a part of the country. This has always been the policy of the Government of India,” he told journalists.
(Edited by Sudha V.)
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