India Condemns Unilateral Administrative Changes by Pakistan in Gilgit Baltistan

India has again condemned in strong terms Pakistan's efforts to unilaterally bring about administrative changes in Gilgit-Baltistan, which legally and constitutionally remains an integral part of India.

- SYED SHOWKET

India has rejected Pakistan's action to give so-called "provisional provincial status" to Gilgit-Baltistan as a blatant move against India's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law. New Delhi has specifically stated that Pakistan’s illegal and forceful occupation of Gilgit-Baltistan cannot be justified under any provisions. Any attempt to bring any change in the status of the region, whether administrative, legal, or political, has no validity for India or according to international law.

India's stance on Gilgit-Baltistan is based on historical facts, legal agreements, and constitutional principles. In October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, signed the Instrument of Accession, thereby accepting the new realities of being part of the Indian Union. His accession, under the Indian Independence Act of 1947, was final, and irrevocable, and accepted by the then Governor-General of India. As a result, the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit Baltistan, became part of India. In 1994, by consensus, the Indian Parliament passed a resolution reaffirming that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the territories under Pakistan's illegal occupation, is an integral part of India.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has time and again asserted that no administrative, legal, or political adjustment by Pakistan is legitimate in a region under its illegal occupation. In a formal statement, the MEA asserted that Pakistan's action in altering the status of Gilgit-Baltistan is illegal, null, and void, and that it does not alter the legal status of the territory, which is legally the property of India. These measures, in India's view, are merely a perpetuation of Pakistan's exercise to cover up its illegal occupation under political drama meant to consolidate its grip on the region.