Experts who have a close watch on the day-to-day developments in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have warned New Delhi of not playing with fire by holding the G-20 summit in the occupied territory in 2023 in violation of international agreements and the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.
They were commenting on the media reports about instructions by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to the local authorities to make the necessary arrangements for holding the event in Ladakh area of IIOJK.
The experts warned that the move had already been opposed by Pakistan and China saying that it will be an open violation of and disregard for the United Nations international resolutions on the disputed nature of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
This event will be held for the first time since August 2019 when IIOJK lost its special status after New Delhi unilaterally abrogated Articles 370 and 35-A from its constitution. The August 2019 actions were rejected by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), either.
The fact is, Jammu and Kashmir had never been a part of India, and will never be. It is an internationally recognized disputed territory that has been under forcible and illegal occupation of India since 1947, the experts added.
The dispute remains on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council for nearly 75 years. The relevant UNSC resolutions pledge to the Kashmiris their inalienable right to self-determination, to be exercised through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations
Now flouting the international commitments, the experts said, India will not succeed in misleading the global community by organizing the international summits like G-20 in IIOJK.
In the interest of justice as well as durable peace and security in South Asia, they advised India to honour its commitment to the Kashmiris and to the world community by faithfully implementing the UNSC resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.—INP
