Ahead of the first anniversary of abrogating the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday released a ‘new political map’. The new map includes Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as part of its territory. Interestingly, the map also includes the Junagarh region of western Gujarat.
New Delhi rejected the new map and claimed it as an “exercise in political absurdity” and “ridiculous assertions” which has no legal validity and no international credibility.
The new map was unveiled after the nod of Pakistan’s cabinet. Pakistani foreign minister S.M. Qureshi, while releasing the new map said, “First time that a map reflected the aspirations of the people.”
“This is that map which was only talked about by Pakistan governments behind closed doors. Today, our government has revealed that map to the entire world and shown it where Pakistan stands,” added Qureshi. The map also includes the Siachen glacier—India’s strategic territory—as a part of Pakistan.
Hitting hard on the “so-called map”, New Delhi said to have noted the move and said, “This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian State of Gujarat and our Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and of Ladakh.”
This so called “political map” of Pakistan released by Prime Minister Imran Khan today is a glaring example of how disconnected Pakistan PM is with ground realities. Pakistan will never succeed in its wicked design of undermining the unity and integrity of India.
— Vijay Rupani (Modi Ka Parivar) (@vijayrupanibjp) August 4, 2020
Condemning on the inclusion of Junagarh in the new map, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani called it preposterous and obnoxious and said, “This so-called “political map” of Pakistan released by Prime Minister Imran Khan today is a glaring example of how disconnected Pakistan PM is with ground realities. Pakistan will never succeed in its wicked design of undermining the unity and integrity of India.”
A statement by the Ministry of External Affairs reads, “This new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan’s obsession with territorial aggrandizement, supported by cross-border terrorism.”
The controversial changes were made a day before the first anniversary of India’s decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.