JOIN US India on Tuesday rapped Pakistan for approaching the United Nations over its draft bill on geospatial information.
New Delhi said Islamabad has no say on an “entirely internal legislative matter”.
The strong response came after Pakistan complained to the UN that India has been depicting Jammu & Kashmir as its territory and the new bill aims to punish those who show the state as a disputed territory.
External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the draft Geospatial Information Regulation Bill is an “entirely internal legislative matter of India, since the whole of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India”. “Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi in the matter,” he said.
With Pakistan’s remark on the draft bill seen as part of its strategy to keep the pot boiling on Kashmir in the international arena, Swarup said, “India firmly rejects Pakistan's repeated and increasing attempts to impose on the international community matters that India has always been open to address bilaterally with Pakistan."
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju too said it is a domestic matter. "It is just a rough draft, at an initial stage. The final bill will be prepared taking into view suggestions of Indian stakeholders. Pakistan does not need to respond on this," he told reporters.
The draft bill aims to regulate geospatial information and has a provision where wrong depiction of India's territorial boundaries would land the offender in jail for up to seven years and a fine of up to Rs 100 crore. India had earlier objected to Google Map's depiction of incorrect depiction of India’s map by excluding parts of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Arunachal Pradesh.
Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Foreign Office said it has expressed "serious concern" to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council about India's "controversial" bill. "In violation of UNSC resolutions, the official map of India has been depicting the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India which is factually incorrect and legally untenable. Through the passage of this Bill, the Indian government would penalise individuals and organisations who depict Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory as per the UNSC resolutions," it said.
Islamabad also wanted the UN to urge India to stop "such acts which are in violation of international law".
Draft Geospatial Information Regulation Bill
Regulate acquisition, dissemination, publication and distribution of geospatial information likely to affect security, sovereignty and integrity of India
Proposes hefty fine ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 100 crore and/or imprisonment for up to 7 years for wrongful depiction of map
Make all take licence before acquiring or distributing any geospatial data
The draft bill aims to regulate geospatial information and has a provision where wrong depiction of India's territorial boundaries would land the offender in jail