India hits back at Nawaz Sharif, says 'part of J&K is under illegal occupation of Pakistan'

They can write as many letters as they want to the United Nations but this will not change the fact that J&K is an integral part of India, the MEA said.

New Delhi: Hitting out at Pakistan over attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that part of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.

They can write as many letters as they want to the United Nations but this will not change the fact that J&K is an integral part of India, it said.

MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "The ground reality is that part of Jammu and Kashmir is under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and any third party collaboration will be our concern.”

He also slammed Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's decision to send 22 special envoys to world capitals to raise the Kashmir issue.

"Sending out 22 envoys is not going to make untenable claims legal. They should have sent just one envoy with the right message of putting an end to cross-border terrorism," Swarup said.

Meanwhile, PM Sharif has shot off another letter to the UN chief seeking his intervention in the Kashmir issue.

Pakistan on Thursday banned the Indian TV channels in the country and asked its cable operators and DTH dealers to comply the with order immediately.

The move is seen as a retaliation to India's plan to transmit some of the All India Radio (AIR) programmes in the Balochi language.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently raised the issue of human rights violations in Balochistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and extended all possible help.