After failing to garner any support on Kashmir at any international forum, Pakistan has now opened a new front with India. After baseless assertions on Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad is now claiming Junagadh in Gujarat as its territory. Taking a cue from Nepal’s PM K.P. Sharma Oli, Pak PM Imran Khan has now released a new map of the country, claiming Junagadh in Gujarat as Pakistan’s territory.
In a huge provocation, Pakistan has now included the erstwhile state of Junagadh in Gujarat as Pakistani territories along with J&K and Ladakh. Interestingly, Pakistan has chosen to unnecessarily needle India a day before the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and weeks after Nepal made a similar move and included Indian territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kala Pani in its own political map.
Responding to the provocation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in its statement, “We have seen a so-called ‘political map’ of Pakistan that has been released by Prime Minister Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and of Ladakh. These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms reality of Pakistan’s obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism.”
Imran Khan released the new political map of the country after holding a cabinet meeting. In this new map, Pakistan has claimed not only Siachen in Ladakh, calling construction by India in the area “illegal” but also Gujarat’s Junagadh. As far as J&K is concerned Pak has earlier also made such claims in the past but what’s especially intriguing is that this time Islamabad has chosen to stake claim on Junagadh in Gujarat as well.
Interestingly, Pakistan’s claim over Junagadh comes hours after India slammed it at the UN and called it a “nerve centre of terrorism”. India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti on Tuesday said it is a well-known fact that Pakistan is the nerve centre of terrorism. It is the home to the largest number of listed terrorists and terrorist entities like Jamat-ud Dawah, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaishe-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. All of these entities are continuing their operations from Pakistan.