KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (MAPIM) joined other concerned parties today in strongly protesting India's formal inclusion of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan as part of Indian territory.
The Pakistan government yesterday rejected the new maps issued by New Delhi which showed the entire Kashmir region as its territory, describing them as "incorrect and legally untenable".
MAPIM President Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid called India's move as provocative and will escalate the tension between the Kashmiris and the Indian authorities, after unilaterally partitioning the territory.
"The implication of the new map is bound to create a strong public response amongst Kashmiris when the complete denial of their rights for self determination for the Kashmiris is now confirmed," said Azmi.
It was almost two months ago that India had erased the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and now it has moved to the next level of its annexation, he added.
The fresh maps were released after the Indian government bifurcated the territory into two areas as part of Indian Ladakh Union Territory (UT).
Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Office, made a statement saying that Islamabad rejected these political maps, which were incompatible with the United Nations' (UN) maps.
Pakistan also said that no move by India could change the "disputed'' status of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been "recognised by the UN".
Azmi agreed that India was clearly violating the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution and must not be allowed to persist as demarcating a disputed territory unilaterally which could not be legally binding.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs released the new map of India depicting Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan with its "capital" Muzaffarabad within the geographical boundary of the country.
"We are demanding the UNSC to take appropriate action because it cannot remain silent to such violation.
"India's decision to bifurcate the former state into two Union territories, which was enforced on Oct 31 following the Presidential order, which was signed on Aug 5, must be condemned and the demarcation must be withdrawn," he said.
He compared the move by India on Kashmir as exactly the same as what Israel did to the Palestine Occupied Territories.