MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan’s Interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar strongly criticized the Indian Supreme Court’s validation of the Narendra Modi-led government’s decision to revoke the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Speaking to the media in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Muzaffarabad district on Friday, the caretaker PM expressed his disapproval of the Indian Supreme Court’s ruling and stated, “Kashmir was never a part of India and will never be.” He emphasized that the future of Kashmiris cannot be decided by any court.
PM Kakar’s remarks followed the recent decision by the Indian Supreme Court, which declared Article 370, providing special status to IIOJK, as a temporary provision. The court affirmed the occupied territory as an integral part of India, supporting the government’s decision to revoke its semi-autonomous status.
Rejecting any unilateral action regarding IIOJK, the prime minister said that Pakistan would only accept a resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through a plebiscite in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. He emphasized that neither Indian courts nor assemblies have the authority to determine the future of Kashmiris.
PM Kakar highlighted that India’s unilateral actions in IIOJK have fueled the Kashmiri freedom struggle, and the international community has not accepted India’s stance on Kashmir. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the rights of IIOJK residents, considering them potential citizens of Pakistan and vowing to protect their rights.
