Islamabad, Pakistan: In response to India’s Supreme Court unanimously upholding the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan declared the verdict as having “no legal value” and emphasized that international law does not recognize India’s “unilateral and illegal actions” of August 5, 2019. The Supreme Court’s decision upheld the Indian government’s move to revoke Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani stated during a press conference that the endorsement of India’s actions by the Supreme Court held “no legal value,” asserting that Kashmiris have an inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Jilani rejected the judgment, calling it a “travesty of justice” and emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute, remaining on the UN Security Council’s agenda for over seven decades.
“Pakistan does not acknowledge the supremacy of the Indian Constitution over Jammu and Kashmir. India cannot abdicate its international obligations on the pretext of domestic legislations and judicial verdicts,” Jilani said, underlining Pakistan’s stance.
The Foreign Minister alleged that India’s measures since August 5, 2019, aimed at changing the demographic and political landscape of Kashmir, are of grave concern to Pakistan. He called for the rescission of these measures to create an environment for peace and dialogue. Jilani affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to providing political, diplomatic, and moral support to the people of Kashmir and announced plans to convene a meeting of all stakeholders to determine the future course of action.
The strained relations between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue escalated after the abrogation of Article 370, leading to the expulsion of the Indian envoy and downgrading of trade ties by Pakistan. India has consistently maintained that Kashmir is an internal matter and expressed a desire for normal, friendly relations with Pakistan.
Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif criticized the Supreme Court’s verdict, calling it a “biased decision” that violated international laws. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, stated that India does not follow international laws and UN resolutions, asserting that the Indian parliament and courts cannot rewrite international agreements.
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