The federal cabinet on Tuesday unveiled a new political map of the country, which includes Indian-occupied Kashmir in its entirety. The approval was given in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday during which participants were apprised of the latest situation in the occupied Muslim-majority region.
Speaking during a live televised address to the nation, the premier shared the details of the decisions made in the Cabinet meeting.
“Today is the most important day in the history that we are presenting a new political map of Pakistan before the world,” he said.
read more: Uncertainty in Kashmir after India’s revocation of Article 370
“The cabinet has approved the map,” he said, adding that the Kashmiri and national leadership has also green-signalled it. The new map would now be used in school and colleges as well, he added.
The map identifies Indian occupied Kashmir as a “disputed territory” and states that the final status will be decided in line with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
The map rejects the illegal steps taken by India on August 5 last year, he said, adding that the federal cabinet and the country’s political leadership had supported it.
The final status of “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir” was to be decided in line with the relevant UNSC resolutions, is clearly written on the map.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi explained the changes made in the new map, saying it reflected the will and aspirations of the people of Pakistan. Qureshi congratulated the incumbent government for unveiling a map of the country, which included Gilgit-Baltistan as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
read more: FM Qureshi: Kashmiris have rejected Indian annexation of Occupied Kashmir
The foreign minister added that it had also been made clear that Siachen is a part of Pakistan. “[Through the map] we are challenging their illegal occupation and claiming our right to the area,” he said.
Speaking of Sir Creek, the foreign minister said: “Pakistan denies the Indian claims that it goes towards the West; we have denied that claim and made it clear that our border is on the East.” Qureshi said India had made these claims in a bid to capture several acres of land that were Pakistan’s exclusive economic zone.
The erstwhile FATA has been merged with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the map, he added.
Twitterati applauded the move as belated but the right one:
History will unfold in new ways=
GB and #AJK will be become part of Pakistan.
— Jan Achakzai / جان اچکزئی (@Jan_Achakzai) August 4, 2020
Finally, 1st step has been taken for #Kashmir to be free. Kashmir is part of #OfficialMapofPakistan pic.twitter.com/7nu1w8fLzf
— Esra Bilgiç (@esbilgicreal) August 4, 2020
Pakistan has shown courage and has a leader who is not afraid of the west. Western hypocritical nations never said to India and never will for their own reasons. 1947 UK cheated Pakistan because they needed India in the commonwealth and Mountbatten had no morals! https://t.co/KARUlcn56G
— najma minhas (@MinhasNajma) August 4, 2020