Islamabad: Pakistan has categorically rejected India’s claims regarding the status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) reiterating that unilateral statements and actions by New Delhi cannot alter the internationally recognised status of the disputed territory.

Responding to media queries concerning a recent statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs regarding the map of IIOJK, Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan stated that India’s continued occupation and unilateral measures carry no legal weight under international law.

The spokesperson emphasised that the the dispute remains one of the oldest unresolved items on the agenda of the UN Security Council (UNSC). He noted that relevant UN Security Council resolutions explicitly stipulate that the final disposition of the territory must be determined in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people, expressed through a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under UN auspices.

Highlighting the official legal position, the spokesperson stated that cartographic representations published by the UN depict IIOJK as a disputed territory. He added that these official UN maps represent the only recognised cartographic status of the region, rendering India’s official maps and unilateral claims of sovereignty void of legal standing.

Pakistan further urged the international community to hold India accountable for human rights conditions in IIOJK. The Foreign Office called on international bodies to ensure an immediate end to alleged human rights violations in the region and to press India to fulfill its international commitments regarding the right to self determination for the Kashmiri people, as mandated by the UNSC resolutions.