Pakistan writes to UN about India's controversial mapping bill on Kashmir

NEW YORK (Staff Report) - Pakistan has expressed serious concerns at the United Nations regarding the Indian government’s efforts to introduce a controversial “Geospatial Information Regulation Bill” in the Indian Parliament.

In violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Bill requires all maps of India to include the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir as part of the country.

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The Indian government will be able to penalize individuals and organizations who depict Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory in maps of India under the controversial Bill.

Wrong depiction of the map of India could land the violators in jail with a maximum term of seven years and impose a fine up to Rs 100 crore, according the version of the Bill currently under consideration by the Indian Parliament.

In a letter by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative at the UN, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan has called upon the United Nations to uphold the UNSC resolutions and urge India to stop violating international law.

“We have urged the international community and the United Nations to fulfill their commitment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir by holding an independent and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices,” Dr Maleeha Lodhi said in a statement on Tuesday.