US Congresswoman visits PoK, MEA calls its 'condemnable'

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 21

US Congresswoman Ilham Omar’s visit to Pakistan has landed her in a controversy both within the country she is visiting as well as in India which has called her visit to the Line of Control (LOC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as “condemnable”.

Meeting with Imran causes flutter

• US Congresswoman Ilham Omar is on a five-day visit to Pakistan from April 20 to 24; her meeting with former Prime Minister Imran Khan triggered a controversy in Pakistan
• Minister Rana Sanaullah asked why Khan, who was accusing former Opposistion leaders of hatching a conspiracy with US against his government, was meeting Americans

Narrow-minded politics

Ilham Omar visited a part of J&K illegally occupied by Pakistan. If such a politician wishes to practise her narrow-minded politics at home that may be her business, but violating our territorial integrity in its pursuit makes this ours. — Arindam Bagchi, MEA Spokesperson

This was the first US delegation to PoK in three years.

“She visited a part of J&K illegally occupied by Pakistan. If such a politician wishes to practise her narrow-minded politics at home that may be her business, but violating our territorial integrity in its pursuit makes this ours. Condemnable,” said Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesperson Arindam Bagchi when asked to react to her visit to PoK.

Landing in PoK on Thursday, Omar said at a press conference that the US administration and the Congress were not talking as much as needed about human rights “violations” in Jammu and Kashmir and the effects of the Modi administration’s “anti-Muslim rhetoric”.

“The condemnations and concerns of those who fight for human rights and the question of Kashmir will be included in future hearings within the USA,” Omar assured after having met PoK president Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry.

Omar has been hawkish on J&K after the repeal of Article 370 and has repeatedly called for de-escalation in Kashmir and permission to international organisations to fully document what is happening on the ground.

While Omar gladdened some hearts, her meeting with former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan triggered a controversy in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah questioned Khan’s meeting with Omar and asked, “Was the meeting with the American Congresswoman part of a conspiracy or was it interference?”

Omar is on a five-day visit to Pakistan from April 20 to 24 and has met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi.

Sanaullah went on to say why Khan, who was accusing the former Opposition of hatching a conspiracy along with the US against his government, was meeting Americans.

“Which US conspiracy did you discuss with Ilhan Omar?” asked the minister and said that if Khan did not come clean before the nation regarding his meeting, the government would initiate a probe into it.

“The nation deserves to know the truth. Otherwise, Imran Niazi, following his tradition, might bring forth another letter in a few days,” added Sanaullah.

Meanwhile, on recent terror attacks in Afghanistan, Bagchi said India had been looking at the developments in that country.

“We have seen some of the terrorist attacks. We have always been forthright in our condemnation of terrorist attacks. We are looking at what has been the developments there,” he added.

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