This is an exercise in political absurdity: India on Pakistan's new political map

New Delhi, Aug 04: India on Tuesday strongly protested Pakistan's new 'political map' that counts Jammu and Kashmir and Junagadh in Gujarat as its territories. "This is the most historic day in Pakistan's history," Khan said at a news conference after getting cabinet approval for the map.

''We've seen a so-called "political map" of Pakistan that has been released by PM Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our union territories of Jammu Kashmir and of Ladakh,'' external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a brief statement.

''These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism,'' external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a brief statement.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan government had approved a new political map showing the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh as Pakistani territories. The controversial map also shows the erstwhile state of Junagadh in Gujarat and Sir Creek within Pakistan's borders.

After unveiling the new map, Imran Khan said it is backed by "all political parties and people of Pakistan". He also said that this map is against the Indian government's August 5 decision in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

Imran Khan's move comes a day ahead of the first anniversary of the Indian government tabling in parliament the legislation to scrap Jammu and Kashmir's special status and splitting the erstwhile state into two centrally-administered territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.