Objectionable Visit To PoK By The British High Commissioner In Pakistan
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First publised on 2024-01-15 07:13:59
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The India Commentary view
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The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriot, recently visited Mirpur in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Her entourage included a high-ranking official from the foreign ministry in Britain. Her excuse was that since more than 70% of the Pakistanis residing in Britain have their roots in Mirpur, she decided to get first-hand knowledge of the territory in the 'crucial' interest of the 'diaspora'. But did not the honourable High Commissioner know that Mirpur and PoK are integral part of India and have been illegally occupied by Pakistan? Did she not know that the British government also recognizes that Pakistan is an illegal occupant of PoK? Also, how did the British foreign ministry allow its official to accompany her?
The reaction from India was swift and as expected. Calling the trip "highly objectionable" and an "infringement of India's sovereignty and integrity" and hence "unacceptable", the foreign ministry summoned British High Commissioner to India, Alexander Ellis, to lodge a strong protest. Last year, The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, had also visited some areas in Pok and India had strongly protested against it. At that time, the US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, had defended the visit by saying that a US delegation had also visited J&K for a G20 meeting. India had explained that the two visits were not 'equivalent' as J&K was an integral part of India while PoK, which is also an integral part of India, is illegally occupied by Pakistan.
The US and the UK must recognize that PoK is an integral part of India and must not allow its diplomats to visit it. It is a disputed territory only because Pakistan continues to occupy it illegally. Hence, Western diplomats in Pakistan must respect India's position and must not allow Pakistan to cite their visits as proof of these countries validating Pakistan's claims over PoK. They must also realize that their visits to PoK give ammunition to the various terrorist groups, operating out of Pakistan and also having associates in Western nations, backed by ISI, conducting a shadow war against India. Instead of allowing their diplomats to visit PoK, Western nations would do well to act on India's inputs regarding groups that are operating in their countries and who are targeting India through their nefarious activities.
