India protests UK envoy's visit to PoK

 New Delhi:  Upset over the visit of the British envoy in Islamabad to the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), India on Saturday registered a strong protest saying such an infringement of India’s sovereignty and integrity is unacceptable.

The Indian government said it has taken a serious note of the “highly objectionable” visit of the British high commissioner in Islamabad, along with a United Kingdom foreign office official, to PoK on January 10, 2024.

“Such infringement of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable,” ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

He added that foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra has lodged a strong protest with the British high commissioner, Alex Ellis, in India “on this infringement.”

“The Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India,” the MEA said in a statement.

The British high commissioner to Islamabad, Jane Marriott, visited Mirpur, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), on a special one-day trip.

“Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistan’s people-to-people ties! 70 per cent of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality!” she wrote on X while posting photographs of her visit.