ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
Pakistan on Monday condemned and rejected the Indian government decision to scrap the special status granted to the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.
"Pakistan strongly condemns and rejects the announcements made by the Indian Government regarding the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir," Mohammad Faisal, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a statement.
"No unilateral step by the government of India can change this disputed status, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan," Faisal said.
Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps, he added.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a series of tweet, said that Islamabad would "firmly highlight" its stance on the Kashmir issue in their "meetings with the U.S. delegation visiting Pakistan and with the International Community at large".
"Pakistan reaffirms it's abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination," he added.
India on Monday scrapped the special status granted to the Muslim-majority state raising fears that the Indian government will try to change demographics of the disputed region by allowing Hindu settlers to buy land.
Earlier, Pakistani President Arif Alvi termed the Indian government announcement as a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions which call for a plebiscite in the region.
"India's attempt to further change status of Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir is against the resolutions of UNSC & against wishes of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan supports & insists on a peaceful resolution based on wishes of Kashmiri people & stands with them in their hour of need," he tweeted.
Alvi also summoned a joint session of the Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Kashmir after the controversial decision, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa summoned an emergency corp commander meeting at the army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Since 1947, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed special provisions to enact its own laws. The special provision also protected its citizenship law that disallowed outsiders to settle and own land in the territory.
The Himalayan region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.
Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.
According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.
* Aamir Latif added to the report from Karachi
