India’s decision to hold G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in IIOJK ‘irresponsible’: FO

Pakistan criticised India’s decision to hold a G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) next month, with the Foreign Office (FO) stating the move was to advance its “self-serving agenda”.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the FO said Pakistan expresses its “strong indignation” over India’s decision to hold the meeting in Srinagar in May.

“Scheduling of two other meetings of a consultative forum on youth affairs (Y-20) in Leh and Srinagar in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is equally disconcerting,” it added.

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The Narendra Modi government had earlier announced that the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting would be held in Srinagar from May 22 to May 24.

“Preparations started for the meeting last year. G20 meetings are taking place in all 28 states and 8 Union territories. Both Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir,” Times of India quoted a source as saying.

The FO said India is exploiting its membership of an important international grouping, and that “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 press release went on to say that India’s move is the latest in a series of self-serving measures to perpetuate its illegal occupation of IIOJK, disregarding the UN Security Council resolutions and violating the principles of the UN Charter and international law.

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Pakistan vehemently condemns these moves, the FO added.

It said the IIOJK is an internationally recognised dispute that has remained on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council for over seven decades.

It said such activities will not divert the 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.”

Back in January, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday had asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold serious and sincere talks to resolve burning issues, including Kashmir.