New Delhi, Jan 1: The Government of India Friday said that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country by virtue of its accession with India in 1947.
 “Any action to alter the status of any part of the territory under the illegal occupation of Pakistan has no legal basis whatsoever, and is completely unacceptable,” a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement here.
 Reacting to a recent statement of the newly elected Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan in which he had said that the Northern Areas have now become the fifth province of Pakistan and had no connection with Kashmir henceforth, the MEA spokesman said: “Pakistan’s actions regarding Gilgit-Baltistan in the past few months cannot camouflage its illegal occupation of part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, nor can they hide the denial of basic rights to the people in that part for the past six decades.”
 The spokesman said that the illegal occupation” of Gilgit-Baltistan, a part of Jammu and Kashmir, by Pakistan is “completely unacceptable”.
 “We have seen media reports regarding remarks of the so-called Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan in which he said that Gilgit-Baltistan had become the fifth province of Pakistan and henceforth had no connection to Kashmir,” MEA spokesman said.
“The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India by virtue of its accession to India in 1947,” he said.
 The Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Mehdi Shah had said that the people of the area had decided their accession to Pakistan after getting freedom from Dogra Rule and now the region has become the fifth province of Pakistan and has no connection with Kashmir.

GKNN ADDS FROM SRINAGAR:
Pertinent to mention that the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had, at a press conference here on October 14 this year, announced that the Government of India is working on holding “quiet” talks with “every section of opinion” to find a “unique” solution to the problem of Jammu and Kashmir.
 Jammu and Kashmir, Chidambaram had said, “has a unique geographical location and a unique history. We have to find a solution that may turn out to be unique. The whole effort would be quiet until the contours of a political solution to the problem are found. This is essential to take the process forward.”
 “The talks will be held silently, away from the media glare,” Chidambaram had said and added the Centre recognizes that there are different shades of opinion in the state, and therefore the need to hold consultations with all sections. Every voice would be heard, he said.
 “Once the broad contours of a political solution are arrived at, it will be made public at an appropriate time. We must find a solution that is honourable, equitable and acceptable to the vast majority, overwhelming majority, of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he had said.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 1 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 1 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 2 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST