NEW DELHI: Reacting strongly to Pakistan’s move seeking UN intervention on a draft bill governing the use of India’s map, New Delhi has said that it is an “entirely internal legislative matter” and that Islamabad has no locus standi in it.
“The proposed bill is an entirely internal legislative matter of India since the whole of the State of Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi in the matter,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup, adding that India “firmly rejects repeated and increasing attempts by Pakistan to impose on the international community matters that it has always been open to address bilaterally”.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a statement saying it had conveyed its “serious concern” to the UN over the draft bill and asked the world body to uphold its resolutions and urge India to stop such acts which were “in violation of international law”.
“Pakistan has expressed serious concern to the United Nations Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council, through letters by our Permanent Representative in New York, with regard to the Indian government’s efforts to introduce a controversial Geospatial Information Regulation Bill in the Indian Parliament,” it said.
It further said that “in violation of UNSC resolutions, the official map of India has been depicting the disputed territory of Jammu & Kashmir as part of India, which is factually incorrect and legally untenable”. “We have urged the international community and the UN to fulfil their commitment by holding an independent and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices,” it added.
As per the draft bill, wrong depiction of India’s map could land violators in jail with a maximum term of seven years and attract a fine up to `100 crore.
Govt readies bill to penalise wrong India maps
Wrong depiction of India’s map — like one showing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in Pakistan or Arunachal Pradesh in China — can land you in jail as the Modi government is all set to enact a law that will ensure punishment for individuals or institutions disseminating or publishing incorrect maps of the country. The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill forbids wrong depiction, dissemination, publication and acquisition of geospatial information.