NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India’s decision to uphold the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution has not gone down well with Pakistan. The country's former Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has said that they would continue to raise the Kashmir issue.
"The Indian Supreme Court has violated international laws by giving a decision against the resolutions of the United Nations. The Indian Supreme Court has betrayed the sacrifice of millions of Kashmiris. With this biased decision of the Indian Supreme Court, Kashmir’s freedom movement will become stronger. There will be no abatement in the Kashmiri struggle," Sharif said.
"This decision will be seen as recognition of the blood of justice on the forehead of India’s Supreme Court," he stated.
In an emphatic victory for the Modi government, the Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld its decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution that bestowed special status upon the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, ordered restoration of statehood "at the earliest" and set a September 30, 2024 deadline for holding assembly elections.
Shehbaz also went on to state that under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) will raise the issue of rights of Kashmiris at all levels. "We stand by our Kashmiri brothers and sisters in this struggle,’’ Sharif added.
Pakistan Peoples Party chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that once again it has been proved that India does not follow international laws and UN resolutions. "Indian parliament and courts cannot rewrite international agreements," he said.
On December 9, former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif had spoken about improving ties with India.
"...During my tenure as PM, two Indian Prime Ministers visited Pakistan. Modi Saheb and Vajpayee Saheb had come to Lahore. We will have to improve our relations with India,’’ Nawaz had said on Saturday.
It may be recalled that since August 17, Pakistan has been functioning under a caretaker government with an 18-member cabinet, which will continue until elections are held and a new government is formed next year. The caretaker PM of the country is Anwar ul Haq Kakar.
Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
However, their ties nose-dived after India abrogated Article 370 as Pakistan expelled the Indian envoy and downgraded the trade ties.
India has time and again said that Kashmir is an internal matter, and added it desires normal, friendly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, violence and hostility.
Judicial endorsement by Indian Supreme Court has no legal value: Pak's caretaker FM
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani said that international law doesn’t support the Indian top court's decision.
"International law doesn't recognise India's unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019. The judicial endorsement by the Indian Supreme Court has no legal value. Kashmiris have an inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN SC resolutions," Jilani said.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Jilani said India has "no right to make unilateral decisions on the status of this disputed territory" against the will of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
"Pakistan does not acknowledge the supremacy of the Indian Constitution over Jammu and Kashmir. Any process, subservient to the Indian Constitution, carries no legal significance. India cannot abdicate its international obligations on the pretext of domestic legislations and judicial verdicts," he said.
The minister said Pakistan will continue to extend its full political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Kashmir for the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination.
"We will soon call a meeting of all stakeholders and determine our future course of action," he said.
(With additional inputs from PTI)