India on Tuesday refused to mention Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement by Pakistan and the European Union, with the Ministry of External Affairs saying the region is an “inalienable part” of the country and urging those who have “no right to stand” to refrain from commenting on such matters.
A joint press statement issued after a strategic dialogue between EU Foreign and Security Policy Coordinator Kaja Kallas and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Monday included a reference to the “Jammu and Kashmir issue” and “Russia’s war against Ukraine” in the same paragraph, and both sides also supported “conflict resolution” through dialogue and diplomacy.
When External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked about the joint statement at a regular press conference, he replied that New Delhi categorically rejects such “unwarranted references…on India’s internal matters.”
“The union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. Those who have no right to stand on such matters should desist from making any comment on them,” Jaiswal said.
The joint press statement issued after the eighth strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the European Union said that the Pakistani side briefed the European Union delegation on the “Jammu and Kashmir issue.” The European side also informed Pakistan about “Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
The joint statement stated, “The two sides expressed their support for the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.”
In a press conference with Dar, Callas described Pakistan as a “major regional power” and an “important partner” for the European Union.
The reference to Jammu and Kashmir did not go down well in New Delhi, where former foreign minister Kanwal Sibal said on social media that the paragraph in question sought to establish “parity” between the issues of Jammu and Kashmir and Ukraine. He said the European Union had apparently described Jammu and Kashmir as a “conflict”, which was the “Pakistani version”.
India is traditionally angry at any reference to Kashmir in official documents issued by Pakistan, and says that the Kashmir issue was settled by revoking the region’s special status in August 2019.
