By IANS,
Jammu : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu Monday described the resolution by the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly demanding provincial status as a conspiracy by Pakistan to weaken India’s legitimate claim over the region.
BJP state unit’s chief spokesman Jitendra Singh said here that the resolution demanding provincial status for the region is a “design by Islamabad to achieve twin objectives of usurping the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan and at the same time compromising India’s legitimate claim over the region”.
Singh alleged that the resolution was adopted by the Gilgit assembly at the behest of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government in Pakistan.
“It violates all democratic and diplomatic norms and is also contrary to the spirit of Pakistan’s constitution itself, which has since accepted Gilgit-Baltistan not as a part of Pakistan but as a part of Jammu & Kashmir,” he said.
He added that Gilgit-Baltistan is an integral part of Jammu & Kashmir and an integral part of India.
Gilgit-Baltistan is in northern areas administered by Pakistan and shares its border with Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir, Afghanistan and China.
Referring to the Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self Governance) Order signed by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari Sep 7, Singh said, “All this substantiates that Pakistan is playing tricks to usurp the region.”
The order makes provision for a cosmetic chief minister elected by the Gilgit assembly with the real power being with the governor, who will be an appointee of the president of Pakistan.
Singh alleged that the Congress-led UPA government has failed to uphold the territorial integrity of the region despite the 1994 unanimous resolution of parliament that states: “The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been, is and shall be an integral part of India and any attempts to separate it from the rest of the country will be resisted by all necessary means.”
The Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly Sep 13 passed a resolution recommending that the area be made the fifth province of Pakistan.