Though Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan constantly and restlessly whines about India, deep down in his heart, he is enthralled by the beauty and the splendour of the landscapes offered in India.
This fascination for India’s scenic magnificence was revealed by the Pakistani Prime Minister himself in a tweet posted by him. He shared mesmerising pictures of Gilgit Baltistan, claiming that it is one of his favourite places on earth.
Sharing kaleidoscopic pictures of the landscapes in the region, Khan tweeted, “The colours of Gilgit Baltistan just before the onset of winter. One of my favourite places on this earth.”
The colours of Gilgit Baltistan just before the onset of winter. One of my favourite places on this earth. pic.twitter.com/qdhGqkZ2Fx
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 6, 2020
Netizens remind Imran Khan that Gilgit Baltistan belongs to India
Soon after Khan hailed Gilgit Baltistan as one of his favourite places on earth, netizens were prompt in reminding him that Gilgit Baltistan legitimately belongs to India and that Pakistan has unlawfully and illegally occupied it.
gb is part of India 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
— ႮℳᗅℕᏀ ℙᗅͲℰし🕉امنگ (@Umangpatel023) December 6, 2020
gilgit baltistan is part of j&k and j&k is part of India 🇮🇳🇮🇳
.
jai hind 🇮🇳
.
RT and support to India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/9kgDkVbwR5
Gilgit Baltistan is part of erstwhile princely state of Jammu & Kashmir, an integral part of India.
— Ravi Khandelwal (@khandelwals1) December 6, 2020
Son, this is the land of India, India will take it one day and do not show the stolen thing to the world.
— MEWADI ~BAPU~ (@Kr_CHUNDAWAT) December 6, 2020
Social Media users called out Khan for passing images from California as from Gilgit Baltistan
Before posting the above the tweet, the Pakistani PM had uploaded a tweet with four images and the same caption. However, several social media users pointed out that the images shared by Imran Khan were from the United States and not Gilgit Baltistan. Khan promptly deleted the tweet, posting a revised tweet later with pictures supposedly from Gilgit Baltistan.
This joker tweeted image of California and claimed it to be of Girgit Baltistan. Later deleted that tweet.
— औरंगज़ेब (@__phoenix_fire_) December 6, 2020
“Nakshe badalne se kuch nahi hoga khan sahab, ek baar nasha badal ke dekh lo ” pic.twitter.com/b6CUw3bcsZ
Dear prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI , this is not Gilgit Baltistan but California USA. https://t.co/w4fWk0RStp https://t.co/n17rcadD6B pic.twitter.com/WZaEQY0FMF
— Fawad Rehman (@fawadrehman) December 6, 2020
Gilgit Baltistan—A part of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir that was acceded to India
Gilgit Baltistan was a part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir ruled by the then ruler Maharaja Hari Singh. Soon after independence, the Pakistani Army backed Pashtun tribal militias invaded the state of Jammu and Kashmir to plunder, rape and destroy.
They marauding Pakistani tribesmen occupied Gilgit Baltistan as well as some part of Kashmir, including Muzaffarabad. Four days after their invasion, on October 26, 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, merging his state with India. Following the accession of the state to India, Indian troops were airlifted to Srinagar, the state capital to repel the tribal invasion.
The Indian Army successfully drove back the advancing Pashtun tribals from Kashmir after which an armistice was reached. The Indian Army was successful in retaining Jammu, a major part of Kashmir, along with Leh-Ladakh. However, by then, Pakistani forces had illegally occupied the province of Gilgit Baltistan, The Shaksgam Valley and other regions of Kashmir.
By the dint of the Instrument of Accession, India holds sovereign claims on Jammu and Kashmir, including the parts of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir such as Gilgit Baltistan, parts of Kashmir illegally controlled by Pakistan and it remains committed to retrieving its territories.
Earlier in November 2020, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran khan officially announced the ‘provincial status’ of Gilgit-Baltistan. He claimed that the decision was taken while “keeping in mind the UN Security Council’s resolution.”
Anurag Srivastava, Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, had said, “The Government of India firmly rejects the attempt by Pakistan to bring material changes to a part of Indian Territory, under its illegal and forcible occupation. I reiterate that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the area of so-called “Gilgit-Baltistan”, are an integral part of India by virtue of the legal, complete and irrevocable accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the union of India in 1947.”
The statement further added that the Government of Pakistan has no right on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it. “Such attempts by Pakistan, intended to camouflage its illegal occupation, cannot hide the grave human rights violation, exploitation and denial of freedom for over seven decades to the people residing in these Pakistan occupied territories. Instead of seeking to alter the status of these Indian territories, we call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.”
In September, reports suggested that the political dispensation of Pakistan, which is hands-in-gloves with the Army, has given the nod to alter the so-called ‘autonomy’ of the region. The decision will primarily benefit China and its China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
