Bill on Kashmir map: It`s our internal matter, says India after Pakistan expresses `concern` to UN

Pakistan has said that it has expressed `serious concern` to the UN over a draft bill in the Indian Parliament over the map of Kashmir.

Delhi: India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan after it expressed ‘serious concern’ to the United Nations over India’s draft ‘Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016’.

Pakistan had said today that it has expressed "serious concern" to the UN over a draft bill in the Indian Parliament over the map of Kashmir and called upon the world body to uphold its resolutions and urge India to stop such acts which are in "violation of international law".

"Pakistan has expressed serious concern to the United Nations Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council, through letters by our Permanent Representative in New York, with regard to the Indian government's efforts to introduce a controversial 'Geospatial Information Regulation Bill' in the Indian Parliament," the Foreign Office (FO) said.

It further said that "in violation of UNSC resolutions, the official map of India has been depicting the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India which is factually incorrect and legally untenable".

Through the passage of this Bill, the Indian government would penalise the individuals and organisations who depict Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, the FO said.

"The letter calls upon the United Nations to uphold the UNSC resolutions and urge India to stop such acts which are in violation of international law," the FO said, as per PTI.

Wrong depiction of the map of India could land the violators in jail with a maximum term of seven years and impose a fine up to Rs 100 crore, according to the draft 'Geospatial Information Regulation Bill 2016'.

Reacting to Pakistan’s statement, the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “Proposed (map) bill is an entirely internal legislative matter of India, since the whole state of J&K is an integral part of India,” said Swarup.

“Government rejects Pakistan’s repeated and increasing attempts to impose on International community matters that India is open to address bilaterally with Pakistan,” he added Swarup. 

(With Agency inputs)