MEA Says “Map Bill” an Internal Legislation, Asks Pak to Back Off

If enforced, the bill will enable India to penalise individuals & organisations depicting J&K as disputed territory.

• Vikas Swarup from the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) has said that the “Geospatial bill” is an internal legislative matter of India, as the state of Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan or any other party has no locus standi in the matter.

• MEA has further gone on to stress that India rejects Pakistan’s repeated attempts to impose on the International community matters that India is open to address bilaterally.

• Earlier in the day, Pakistan had expressed serious concern to the United Nations about India’s efforts to introduce a controversial “Geospatial Information Regulation Bill” in Parliament.
  
  
• Pakistan claimed the passage of this Bill would allow the Indian government to penalise individuals and organisations who depict Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territory.
  
  
• Pakistan had urged the international community and the UN to fulfil their commitment with the people of Jammu and Kashmir by holding an independent and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.

(Source: Agencies)

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