New Delhi: India on Wednesday rejected Pakistan's observance of Youm-e-Istehsal and urged Islamabad to stop the bloodshed in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), dismantle terror networks operating from its territory, and vacate all Indian territories under its illegal occupation.
Responding to media queries on remarks made by Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the international community is not misled by what he described as Pakistan's "orchestrated spectacles."
Jaiswal reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh "are, have always been, and shall forever remain an integral and inalienable part of India." He said the constitutional changes introduced on August 5, 2019, were purely India's internal matter and had resulted in significant socio-economic development, improved governance and greater democratic empowerment in the region.
The spokesperson said Pakistan has no authority to comment on India's internal affairs and accused the neighbouring country of attempting to divert global attention from its own human rights record and its alleged support for terrorism.
Calling on Pakistan to take "credible, verifiable and irreversible" action against terror groups operating from its soil, Jaiswal also urged it to immediately vacate Indian territories under its "illegal and forcible occupation."
He further alleged that fundamental rights are being suppressed in PoJK, claiming that Pakistani security forces have used excessive force, targeted killings and restrictive measures to curb peaceful civil rights protests in recent weeks. According to Jaiswal, such actions expose the contradiction in Pakistan's criticism of India on human rights issues.