Syed Salahuddin: China violated territorial integrity by keeping parts of J-K under it

New Delhi, Sep 29 (ANI): Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, who heads the United Jehad Council (UJC), an alliance of Kashmiri militant groups, has said that gifting 43,180 sq km land belonging to Jammu and Kashmir to China in 1963 by Pakistan is a violation of territorial integrity.

"Yes, it is the violation of territorial integrity of Jammu and Kashmir. We are against it," said Salahuddin in an exclusive interview to Power Politics.

The Hizbul Mujahideen chief, who has been living in Pakistan since 1995, also said categorically that Gilgit- Baltistan is an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir State.

India had protested against Islamabad's recent 'Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self Governance Order -2009'. New Delhi claims the entire Jammu and Kashmir region is an integral part of India by virtue of accession in 1947.

"I think the current Pakistan package designed for the people of Gilgit- Baltistan (G B) has not brought good reflection. If Pakistan had given them a setup like Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), it would have been welcomed. But the Governor (under new package) of G B will be appointed by Pakistan and it amounts to provincial status, which tells upon the territorial integrity of Jammu and Kashmir State," Salahuddin said.

"It is not acceptable to any citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir leadership here and across the border has reacted sharply. Pakistan must clarify that it is merely a package of delegation of administrative powers for the said region and it has no impact in any case on the status of Jammu and Kashmir and its territorial integrity. So it has created confusion and ambiguity among the people," he added.

Commenting on Pakistan's game plan behind this package, Salahuddin said this package has brought much confusion and contradictions and has created a lot of misapprehension about the sincerity and seriousness of the Government of Pakistan.

"We have repeatedly said that the Government of Pakistan must be crystal clear about this package and it should be confided only to the delegation of administrative powers to the people of the said area. There should be no attempt to encroach on the territorial integrity of Jammu and Kashmir. Gilgit Baltistan is n integral part of Jammu and Kashmir," he said. (ANI)