Now, Pok, Gilgit weather information on DD News, AIR

Doordarshan News (DD News) and All India Radio (AIR) will broadcast weather information from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in their prime time news bulletin from now on. This comes days after the Weather Office started providing the information in its bulletins.

The move comes after Pakistan Supreme Court gave its nod to conduct elections in Gilgit-Baltistan late last month. Gilgit-Baltistan, according to India, is under illegal occupation of Pakistan.

Officials in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the DD News and AIR started broadcasting temperatures and weather reports of cities including Mirpur, Muzzafarabad and Gilgit in their prime time news bulletins. They said private channels showing weather report will follow soon.

The IMD had started referring its Sub Division of Jammu and Kashmir as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad from Tuesday. It provides temperatures of Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Skardu, which is now occupied by Pakistan.

After the Pakistan Supreme Court allowed elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) demarched senior Pakistan diplomat and lodged a strong protest against the order on the "so-called Gilgit-Baltistan".

"It was clearly conveyed that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession. The Government of Pakistan or its judiciary has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it. India completely rejects such actions and continued attempts to bring material changes in Pakistan occupied areas of the Indian territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Instead, Pakistan should immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation," it had said.

The MEA said such actions can neither hide the illegal occupation of parts of Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh by Pakistan nor the grave human rights violations, exploitation and denial of freedom to the people residing in Pakistan occupied territories for the past seven decades.