FO also quashed reports of legal troubles for the Pakistani community residing in France
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur announced that the federal government will elevate the status of Gilgit-Baltistan to a province. He said that the decision was taken about four months back.
Gandapur appreciated the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for their choice of joining Pakistan unconditionally at the time of partition. “It was amazing for me to hear that the GB people had liberated themselves from the Dogra rule and decided to annex the region to Pakistan unconditionally,” he said.
Foreign Office responds to Indian statement on GB
The foreign office called India’s statement on the status of GB irresponsible and stated that India does not have any legal, moral or historical right to criticize any step after violating the UN Resolutions on Kashmir for more than 70 years. The statement added that India has maintained an illegal occupation and Pakistan wants the plebiscite in Kashmir for self-determination should take place.
“Pakistan’s position on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute remains firmly anchored in the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The final resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute is only possible through the exercise of the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination by holding free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations,” the statement read.
Pakistani community in France
The foreign office’s spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri also responded to the baseless Indian media reports that the Pakistani community was facing a tough time in France. The fake news was spread on several dummy Twitter handles. A fake account supposedly associated with the Pakistani embassy in France was suggesting that Pakistanis are being deported from France.
The foreign office has clarified that these are all false news and the Pakistani community continues to be very much a part of France and continues to contribute to the country’s progress.
“We’ve noticed some fake news with regard to the Pakistani diaspora in France being spread by some sections of Indian media and dummy Twitter accounts,” Chaudhri said. “The baseless and misleading information is patently a handiwork of Indian anti-Pakistan propaganda machine working overtime.”