India on Wednesday firmly rejected Pakistan’s remarks on the so-called “Youm-e-Istehsal,” describing the observance as a politically motivated attempt to spread misinformation about Jammu and Kashmir while diverting global attention from Pakistan’s own human rights record and support for terrorism.
Responding to media queries regarding comments made by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh “are, have always been, and shall forever remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”
The MEA said the constitutional changes introduced on August 5, 2019, are entirely India’s internal matter and have resulted in unprecedented socio-economic development, improved governance and greater democratic empowerment for the people of the region. It asserted that Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on issues that fall strictly within India’s domestic affairs.
Rejecting Pakistan’s allegations, the MEA spokesperson said Islamabad’s attempts to propagate false narratives are aimed solely at diverting international attention from what India described as Pakistan’s poor human rights record and its status as the global epicentre of terrorism.
The MEA also said that the international community is witnessing the suppression of fundamental rights in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), where Pakistani security forces have recently resorted to lethal violence, targeted killings and restrictive measures against peaceful civil rights protests. Such actions, the spokesperson said, expose the “profound hypocrisy” of the Pakistani establishment.
Calling on Pakistan to change its approach, India urged Islamabad to stop the bloodshed in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, take credible, verifiable and irreversible action against terrorist networks operating from its territory, and vacate all Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation.
The MEA maintained that Pakistan’s repeated diplomatic campaigns and propaganda exercises would not alter India’s position on Jammu & Kashmir, reiterating that the region remains an inseparable part of the country.
