Islamabad: Pakistan today said that any effort to establish dedicated townships to change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir would be in violation of UN resolutions. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said at a news briefing that India cannot change the population mix by settling outsiders in the Kashmir valley.
“Any effort to establish dedicated townships or special zones to change the demographic makeup of the territory will be in violation of UN resolutions,” she said. She also accused India of discriminatory treatment of Pakistani seamen who were rescued by Indian authorities after an Omani ship sank off the coast of Gujarat on April 4 while on its way to Alang ship-breaking yard in Amreli district.
Aslam voiced concern over reports that the Pakistani seamen were denied proper lodging saying it was breach of international laws and norms. Indian Coast Guard and state marine police had rescued the 17 crew members, 15 of them Pakistanis, of the ship which sank about 10 nautical miles from Pipavav port.
“Those belonging to Yemen were lodged in a hotel while the Pakistanis reportedly were kept in a police station,” she said. She said Pakistan high commission in New Delhi has approached the Indian authorities to ensure the security, well-being and early repatriation of Pakistani seamen. To another question, Aslam said New Delhi has also not responded to Islamabad’s queries about the so-called “drug boat”, referring to the incident on April 20 when a Pakistani boat carrying 232 kgs of narcotics with street value of Rs 600 crore was seized and eight Pakistanis on board were arrested by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard in international waters off the Gujarat coast.
