Criticizes India's Decision To Hold G20 Meeting In Kashmir, Pakistan: An Irresponsible Step

Lively G20 in India. (Source: G20.org)

JAKARTA - Pakistan on Tuesday condemned India's decision to hold a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir next month, calling the move "irresponsible".

Kashmir is claimed in full by New Delhi, but is partially ruled by the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who have been fighting for control of the territory.

India itself currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20 for a year, and will host a leaders' summit in New Delhi in early September.

On Friday, India released a full calendar of events ahead of the summit, including G20 and Youth 20 meetings in Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar and in Leh, neighboring Ladakh region, in April and May.

In response, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the site selection in the disputed territory.

"India's irresponsible move is the latest in a series of self-serving acts to perpetuate the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir," the ministry said.

Further, Pakistan accused India of "ignoring UN Security Council resolutions and violating the principles of the UN Charter and international law."

"Pakistan strongly condemns this act," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, India's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the statement from Pakistan.

New Delhi has long accused Pakistan of fomenting a decades-long separatist insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority region.

Islamabad denies the accusations, saying it only provides diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination.

Apart from that, Pakistan has also accused India of human rights violations in the part of Kashmir under its control, a charge New Delhi denies.