G-20 summit: Pakistan mounts diplomatic offensive against India

Pakistan on Tuesday reacted sharply to India’s decision to hold the G-20 meetings in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) region, as it reached out to friendly countries part of the wealthy-nation club as part of efforts to desist New Delhi from holding any event or meeting of the grouping in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

India is the current President of G-20 and plans to hold Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar and two other events including a consultative forum on youth affairs (Y-20) in Leh and Srinagar

“India’s irresponsible move is the latest in a series of self-serving measures to perpetuate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in sheer disregard of the UN Security Council resolutions and in violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law. Pakistan vehemently condemns these moves,” said a statement issued by the foreign office.

It said such events cannot hide the reality of Jammu and Kashmir being an internationally recognised dispute that has remained on the agenda of United Nations Security Council for over seven decades. Nor could such activities divert international community’s attention from India’s brutal suppression of the people of IIOJK including illegal attempts to change the demographic composition of the occupied territory.

With its decision to host G-20 events in IIOJK, Pakistan said India is again exploiting its membership of an important international grouping for advancing its self-serving agenda.

Read Bilawal briefs OIC Contact Group on IIOJK

“For a country that has a grandiose vision about itself and its place in the world, India has once more demonstrated that it is unable to act as a responsible member of the international community,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan reached out to the G-20 countries particularly with which it has close ties in an attempt to stop India from holding any event or meeting of the grouping in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

India is part of the G-20 grouping comprising major economies of the world including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Official sources told The Express Tribune that Islamabad approached the G20 countries on the issue.

Sources said Pakistan particularly approached countries like China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to convey them their concerns.

Islamabad is also speaking to the United States, UK and other G20 members in order to counter Indian plans.

Sources said India through hosting such events in the disputed territory is trying to portray normalcy in the disputed territory.

The ground situation, however, is quite contrary to the Indian claims as authorities in the disputed territory are involved in grave human rights abuses, according to the sources.