India and the United Kingdom have lodged a strong complaint against each other on the travel of India’s High Commissioner to Islamabad and another British official to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Such an “infringement” on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), is “unacceptable”.
However, the government had previously filed similar accusations against foreign envoys, twice most recently against the US, for permitting their envoys to visit POK, which India says is illegally occupied territory in Pakistan.
India Files Severe Protest Against UK
India has lodged a formal protest with the UK on the travel of its High Commissioner to Islamabad, along with another British official, to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Such an “infringement” on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The statement said, “India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on January 10 by the British High Commissioner in Islamabad and a UK Foreign Office official.”
The MEA stated, “Foreign Secretary has strongly protested this infringement with the British High Commissioner in India.” “The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India,” it said in a statement.
India’s Objects of the Visit to POK by the UK Envoy; Know why
Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra protested against infringement in the Union Territories of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh, stating that they are an integral part of India. Following her visit to the region, Jane Marriott shared pictures on X, mentioning that 70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making their work together crucial for diaspora interests.
People criticized the British ambassador harshly on social media, calling it “shameful” that the UK government “sent its representatives” to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the visit. A few people also demanded that Jane Marriott be prosecuted by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. A similar occurrence happened in October 2023 during David Blome’s travel to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as the US envoy to Pakistan. At that time, too, the national government brought up the matter with the US authorities and restated that Jammu and Kashmir as a whole is an “integral part of India.”
MEA notes with “great concern” the visit to PoK by the UK High Commissioner
Following the visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Saturday by British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott and a representative of the UK Foreign Office, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) ‘took serious notice’ of the event. The authorities took the “extremely objectionable visit” on January 10, 2024.
The MEA denounced the measure, stating that “such infringement of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable.” This follows the arrival of British envoy Jane Marriott and a UK Foreign Office representative to Mirpur city in the PoK territory.
She tweeted, “Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistan’s people-to-people ties!” along with photos from her trip there.
