'Political absurdity': India lambasts Pakistan over new map claiming J&K, Junagadh

Rejecting the so-called "political map" of Pakistan released by PM Imran Khan, Government of India (GOI), on Tuesday, termed it an 'exercise in political absurdity'. Calling Pakistan's claims to India's Union Territories of Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh and Junagarh untenable, the government said that these had neither legal validity nor international credibility. Slamming Pakistan's continued support to terrorism, GOI said that these claims proved the same. 

Pakistan approves sham new political map with parts of India's J&K, Ladakh & Gujarat

India rejects Pak's new map

"We've seen a so-called "political map" of Pakistan that has been released by PM Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our union territories of Jammu Kashmir and of Ladakh. These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism," read the statement.

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Pakistan releases 'new map'

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan released a new map of Pakistan including Indian territories - Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh and Gujarat's Junagarh - a day ahead of the first anniversary since the revocation of Article 370, 35 A. Terming it a 'historic day', Khan said that the map which also included Siachen will be presented at the United Nations as well. While Khan talked about 'Kashmir's right to self-determination', the new map claimed the entire Kashmir as a part of Pakistan. 

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Pakistan and Kashmir

Since India-Pakistan's partition in 1947, Pakistan never accepted the treaty signed by Maharaja of Kashmir's acceding the erstwhile princely state to India. Since then, Pakistan has conducted several infiltrations into the Valley and also illegally occupied several parts of Kashmir (PoK) and dubbed it 'Azad Kashmir' - installing an 'independent' government there. Though Pakistan has raised Kashmir at several international forums seeking intervention, India has maintained that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between the two nations. Since India revoked Article 370 & 35 A on August 5, Pakistan has peddled fake news on Kashmir's ground situation and failed in any global intervention in the matter.

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Nepal claims Indian territories

This blatant move to incite tensions comes a month after Nepal claimed three Indian territories including Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, in its new map which has been passed by the Nepalese Parliament. On June 18, Nepal's upper house of Parliament unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to update the country's new political map, with all 57 members of the National Assembly voting in its favour. India has termed it Nepal's claims as 'untenable' and 'artificially enlarged'. The PM KP Oli-led administration also plans to send its updated map to India, the United Nations, Google and international communities by mid-August.