In a video from the G20 summit, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of Pakistan’s closest allies, recently recognized Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir as being a part of India.
UAE Recognizes Gilgit Baltistan & Kashmir as part of India in G20 Summit -UAE Deputy Prime Minister Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan also shared the video on X, which was earlier on Twitter, and it was shown at the G20 summit in New Delhi.
Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, which are ruled by Pakistan legally, were identified in the video as being in the center of the Indian map.
The video was intended to showcase regional initiatives to build economic corridors that would link Europe and the Middle East with India. However, it also revealed the diplomatic aims of the UAE regarding Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue.
UAE essentially acknowledged India’s claim to the region by placing these regions within Indian territory.
While the release of the video suggests that relations between India and the UAE are improving, it also demonstrates the growing gap between Pakistan and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Mohammad Bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, postponed his official trip to Pakistan to attend the G20 summit in India. This decision sent a clear message to Pakistan’s political elite.
It is noteworthy that Pakistan anticipates a $50 billion investment over the next five years, with $25 billion coming from each of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Regarding the statement it has made about the matter without mentioning UAE, it is still unknown how Pakistan will respond to this development shortly.
Response from the Pakistani Foreign Office:
UAE Recognizes Gilgit Baltistan & Kashmir as part of India in G20 Summit -Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokeswoman for Pakistan’s foreign ministry, commented on the UAE’s decision to include the entire Kashmir region in India on September 14 during a weekly press briefing.
The statement said, “Pakistan sees the United Nations as the most representative and inclusive forum of nation-states,” without mentioning the United Arab Emirates. It continued, “Any map, showing the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India, is legally tenable and factually incorrect.”
The spokesperson disapproved of the UAE’s incorrect map but agreed that connectivity projects are crucial for regional stability and prosperity.
The Kashmir Situation:
The Kashmir dispute is a long-running dispute between India and Pakistan over the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, according to the website of the Pakistan Mission to the UN. The official political map of Pakistan, which displays every region that makes up the nation, is shown below.
According to a contentious instrument of accession signed by the Maharaja of Kashmir in 1947, India claimed the state as its own and invaded it; however, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people rejected this claim. All nations, except India, recognize Kashmir as a disputed territory according to the United Nations (UN).
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