The Minister of External Affairs officially lodged an official protest on Saturday concerning the British High Commissioner's visit to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) on January 10, 2024, calling it 'unacceptable'.
The MEA condemned the visit as an objectionable intrusion into India's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
A statement emphasized that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India, reinforcing the government's stance, it reportedly said, "Such infringement of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable." It also added that The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are and will always be integral parts of the country.
The official protest was lodged by the foreign secretary with the British High Commissioner in India, conveying India's strong objection to such actions.
It was on January 10 that the UK High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, visited Mirpur in PoK.
According to a Times Of India report, Pakistan-based media have stated that the UK High Commissioner's visit was justified by claiming that '70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur'.
This incident echoes a prior protest made by India when the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donal Blome, visited Muzaffarabad in PoK last October. The Ministry of External Affairs then had stressed the importance of respecting India's sovereignty and territorial integrity, urging the international community to acknowledge the entirety of the territory, including PoK, as an integral part of India.
Furthermore, the MEA had raised objections to the US envoy engaging with the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK in December. The ministry reiterated its stance on territorial integrity and sovereignty, emphasizing the need for the international community to acknowledge India's position in this regard.
