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‘Narrow-minded’: India condemns US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s visit to PoK
The US Congresswoman, who is a Democrat, is currently on a four-day visit to Pakistan.
Facebook/Ilhan Omar
India on Thursday, April 21, condemned the visit of US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), saying her travel to the region violated the country’s sovereignty and it reflected her “narrow-minded” politics. At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi criticised Omar for visiting PoK. The US Congresswoman, who is a Democrat, is currently on a four-day visit to Pakistan.
“We have noted that US representative Ilhan Omar has visited a part of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan,” he said. “If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home, that may be her business. But violating our territorial integrity and sovereignty in its pursuit makes it ours. This visit is condemnable,” Bagchi added. He was asked to comment on Omar’s visit to PoK.
She is the first American lawmaker to visit Pakistan after the ouster of Imran Khan as Prime Minister of the country. She also met Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his predecessor Imran Khan and several other leaders of the country.
To another query on recent terror attacks in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said India has been looking at the developments in that country. “We have seen some of the terrorist attacks. We have always been forthright in our condemnation of terrorist attacks. We are looking at what has been the developments there,” Bagchi said. “But let me emphasise that we certainly condemn all terrorist attacks,” he said.
Meanwhile, amid the row, an official said that Ilhan Omar’s travel to Pakistan is not sponsored by the United States government. “As I understand it, Representative Omar is not visiting Pakistan on US government sponsored travel,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
“We have noted that US representative Ilhan Omar has visited a part of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan,” he said. “If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home, that may be her business. But violating our territorial integrity and sovereignty in its pursuit makes it ours. This visit is condemnable,” Bagchi added. He was asked to comment on Omar’s visit to PoK.
She is the first American lawmaker to visit Pakistan after the ouster of Imran Khan as Prime Minister of the country. She also met Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his predecessor Imran Khan and several other leaders of the country.
To another query on recent terror attacks in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said India has been looking at the developments in that country. “We have seen some of the terrorist attacks. We have always been forthright in our condemnation of terrorist attacks. We are looking at what has been the developments there,” Bagchi said. “But let me emphasise that we certainly condemn all terrorist attacks,” he said.
Meanwhile, amid the row, an official said that Ilhan Omar’s travel to Pakistan is not sponsored by the United States government. “As I understand it, Representative Omar is not visiting Pakistan on US government sponsored travel,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.