J&K, Ladakh integral to India: Bagchi on Pak’s objection to G20 meet

New Delhi, April 13

India on Thursday dismissed Pakistan’s objection to the hosting of a G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Addressing mediapersons, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said these conferences were being organised across the country and it was natural to hold them in the two Union Territories too as they were its “integral and inalienable” part. India will host a meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group in Srinagar in May while a youth engagement group meeting is scheduled to take place in Leh later this month.

On Tuesday, Pakistan criticised India’s decision to hold the G20 working group meeting in Srinagar and also objected to the scheduling of the Youth-20 forum in Leh.

The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India’s warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

The relations further deteriorated after India in August 2019 announced the withdrawal of special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two UTs.