India, Pakistan Spar Over UN Map Vote And Jammu & Kashmir Stand

Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday called India’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir “baseless”, a day after the Ministry of External Affairs clarified New Delhi’s position on a UN resolution over global map representation. The exchange followed India’s backing of an African Union-backed UN General Assembly resolution to “rebalance” the world map.

The clarification from MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal came on Sunday and concerned the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. India said its support was tied to cartographic method, not to any depiction of political boundaries.

In a statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India voted in favour of the resolution, stressing “the underlying principle of promoting equal - area cartographic representation.” The MEA stated, “We also highlighted that the resolution does not constitute endorsement of any specific map, projection or depiction of national boundaries.”

Pakistan rejected India’s position on Monday. Foreign ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan stated in a statement, “India's baseless assertions regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir which are contrary to internationally recognised facts.” It also stated, “India's unilateral actions and continued illegal occupation cannot alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Khan added, “Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains one of the oldest unresolved, internationally recognized disputes on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council. The relevant UN resolutions stipulate that its final disposition must be made in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the will of the Kashmiri people, expressed through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.” The statement also stated, “India's so-called official maps and unilateral claims of sovereignty have no bearing on the status of the disputed territory.”

UN Map Resolution

The resolution, titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World's Regions, Particularly Africa”, was adopted on September 4.

Jaiswal stated that India voted in favour of the resolution and explained that the vote was meant to support “equal-area cartographic representation.” He stated, “Our position on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is clear, consistent and non-negotiable.”

He added that the purpose of the resolution is “to encourage the use of equal-area map projections that preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.” Jaiswal also stated, “The resolution neither adopts nor authenticates any particular world map, nor does it address political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories or place names.”

Pakistan's Rebuttal

Pakistan responded on Monday. Foreign ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan issued a statement rejecting India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir.

The statement described it as “India's baseless assertions regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir which are contrary to internationally recognized facts.” It further stated, “India's unilateral actions and continued illegal occupation cannot alter the internationally recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Pakistan also argued that Jammu and Kashmir remains one of the oldest unresolved and internationally recognised disputes on the UN Security Council agenda. It added, “The relevant UN resolutions stipulate that its final disposition must be made in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the will of the Kashmiri people, expressed through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.”

Islamabad also rejected India’s map-based claims. “India's so-called official maps and unilateral claims of sovereignty have no bearing on the status of the disputed territory,” the statement said.

Vote Breakdown

Togo sponsored the resolution.

164 countries voted in favour, while Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained. The United States cast the lone vote against.