India to host G20 tourism working group meet in J&K from May 22-24

India's aim to host G20 meetings in Kashmir is to showcase the rich cultural heritage and geographic diversity in the state, despite all challenges and odds. However, Pakistan has objected to India's decision to a G20 meeting in Kashmir, calling it an "irresponsible" move.

New Delhi:India is all set to host the G20 tourism working group meeting in J&K between May 22 and 24. This will be the first such international event to be held in the region since August 2019, when India revoked Kashmir's special status.

India's aim to host G20 meetings in Kashmir is to showcase the rich cultural heritage and geographic diversity in the state, despite all challenges and odds. However, Pakistan has objected to India's decision to a G20 meeting in Kashmir, calling it an "irresponsible" move.

Earlier this year, Pakistan's foreign ministry, in a statement, said, "India’s irresponsible move is the latest in a series of self-serving measures to perpetuate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in sheer disregard of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. Pakistan vehemently condemns these moves".

“Such events cannot hide the reality of Jammu and Kashmir being an internationally recognized dispute that has remained on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council for over seven decades,” the statement added. “For a country that has a grandiose vision about itself, and its place in the world, India has once more demonstrated that it is unable to act as a responsible member of the international community", the statement added.

However, India rejected Pakistan's objection to the G20 meeting in J&K. "These G20 events and meetings are being held across India, in every region of India. Holding such meetings in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is very natural because they are integral and inseparable parts of India,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing last month.

Pakistan leaves no stone unturned to rake up the Kashmir issue in different international forums including the UNSC. India has time and again objected to Pakistan's nefarious attempt to trigger the Kashmir issue while reiterating that J&K is and will remain an integral part of India. Kashmir has been one of the boiling points between India and Pakistan since independence. The Kashmir issue took an ugly turn after India revoked its special status in J&K in 2019.

India took over the G20 Presidency in December last year. The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union. It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development. New Delhi will host the G20 leader’s summit this September.