Pak serves demarche to Indian high commissioner

Pakistan on Monday served a démarche to India denouncing the latest move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on Kashmir.

Ajay Bisaria, New Delhi's envoy to Islamabad, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the Pakistan government, hours after the BJP-led government announced its move to strip Jammu and Kashmir of the special status and reorganising the state into two Union Territories. Sohail Mahmood, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan government, served the démarche to Bisaria.

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Mahmood conveyed to Bisaria Pakistan's “unequivocal rejection” of the “illegal actions” by India, arguing that New Delhi's moves were in breach of international law and several resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

“Pakistan’s resolute condemnation of the unlawful actions aimed at further consolidating the illegal occupation of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOK) was underscored,” the MoFA of Pakistan government stated in a press release posted on the website.

Mahmood reiterated to Bisaria Islamabad's “consistent opposition” to all “attempts” by New Delhi “to change the demographic structure and final status of IOK”.

Pakistan called upon India to “halt and reverse its unlawful and destabilising actions, ensure full compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, and refrain from any further action that could entail serious implications.”

Mahmood also conveyed to Bisaria that Pakistan would continue to “extend political, diplomatic and moral support to the indigenous legitimate Kashmiri people’s struggle for the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination”.