India on Tuesday strongly objected to references to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint communiqué issued after talks between Pakistan and the European Union, asserting that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of the country and not open to external comment.
The Ministry of External Affairs was responding to a paragraph in the communiqué issued after the eighth Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad, which noted that Pakistan had briefed the European Union on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We categorically reject such unwarranted references in the joint communiqué on matters internal to India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. Those who have no locus standi on such matters should desist from making any comment on them,” he added.
The sharp response comes days after Pakistan and the EU issued a joint statement following talks between Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas.
The communiqué had stated that “the Pakistan side briefed on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir”, while the EU side briefed Islamabad on Russia’s war in Ukraine. It further noted that both sides supported the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter.
The statement had also underlined the importance of respecting international treaty obligations, bilateral and regional agreements and international law — language that Islamabad is widely seen as linking to India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack.
While the communiqué did not mention India directly, New Delhi’s response indicates its unease over any external references to Kashmir, which it maintains is an internal matter.
