An ill-informed move by Pakistan

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has directed all public and private TV channels to flash the political map of Pakistan before airing news bulletins at 9 pm. "All the satellite TV channel licensees (news and current affairs/regional language) are, therefore, directed to comply with the above-mentioned recommendation in letter and spirit without fail," it says.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan has directed Pemra to issue such an order. The PTI government had on August 4 last year unveiled the country's new political map, essentially asserting its longstanding position on Kashmir and Sir Creek disputes. Prime Minister Imran Khan, while introducing the map at a ceremony, had said the map reflected the national aspiration and supported principled stance on the Kashmir dispute, reports emanating from Pakistan cited.

The new map issued by Pakistan "observed the first anniversary of annexation of occupied Kashmir", the country claims. Only an insane leadership of Pakistan could use these two words - annexation and occupied - so senselessly. The very two words reflect the reality on the other side of the Indian borders. India has neither 'annexed or occupied' Kashmir. It has been an integral part of India since ages.

Kashmir has been viewed by every generation as a part of 'Bharat' even before the introduction of Islam here. If there is any disputed region of Kashmir, it is the so-called 'Azad Kashmir', a territory under the illegal occupation of Pakistan where it is ensured that ``Azadi" is out of bounds for the locals. The population is treated as slaves by the Pakistanis.

In addition we have "Gilgit-Baltistan" territory which is part of the greater Kashmir region, which is the subject of a long-running conflict between Pakistan and India. The territory shares a border with Azad Kashmir, together with which it is referred to by the United Nations and other international organisations as "Pakistan administered Kashmir".

Gilgit-Baltistan is six times the size of Azad Kashmir. The territory also borders Indian-administered union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the south, and is separated from them by the Line of Control, the de facto border between India and Pakistan. Instead of retaining the area as an administrative territory, Pakistan had gone ahead and converted it into a province, much against the wishes of the locals, at the behest of China, after conceding vast tracts to it as part of CPEC.

While this is the only reality, Pakistan has the audacity to question the abrogation of Article 370 by India. Anti-Indian voices both in Pakistan and India might call the move to abrogate Article 370 illegal, but it is anything but illegal and has been welcomed by a majority of Jammu and Kashmir population. The move has only restored justice to the Kashmiris reeling under the exploitative regimes of hardly three families.

Kashmiris have been subjected to countless injustices over a period. In addition, the Pakistan aided and abetted militancy too has played havoc with the lives of the locals who have not been allowed to live in peace since the 1990s. Pakistan should know that India has the capacity to alter the former's geo-politics completely if it pleases. If it prefers to remain insensate, it is welcome.