ISLAMABAD, September 7, 2026: Pakistan has rejected India’s assertions regarding the depiction and status of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region, saying New Delhi’s claims are contrary to internationally recognised facts.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan issued the statement on Monday in response to remarks by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs calling for the disputed regions of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to be depicted according to India’s official map.
“India’s unilateral actions and continued illegal occupation cannot alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said.
Pakistan rejects India’s map claims
The Foreign Office maintained that India’s unilateral maps and claims of sovereignty do not change the status of the disputed territory.
Khan said that official United Nations maps, which depict Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory, remain the relevant cartographic representation of its current legal status.
“India’s so-called official maps and unilateral claims of sovereignty have no bearing on the status of the disputed territory,” he added.
Pakistan’s response comes amid continued disagreement between Islamabad and New Delhi over the status and territorial representation of Jammu and Kashmir.
FO highlights UN Security Council resolutions
The Foreign Office spokesperson described the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as one of the oldest unresolved disputes on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council.
According to Khan, relevant UN Security Council resolutions provide for the final disposition of the dispute in accordance with those resolutions and the will of the Kashmiri people through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
Pakistan has repeatedly maintained that the Kashmir dispute should be resolved in accordance with international law, relevant UN resolutions and the aspirations of the people of the region.
Pakistan calls for an end to rights violations
The Foreign Office also urged the international community to press India to end what Pakistan describes as human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Khan called on India to fulfil its stated commitments regarding the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The issue remains a longstanding source of tension between Pakistan and India, which have fought multiple conflicts and continue to disagree over the future status of Jammu and Kashmir.
UN General Assembly adopts new world map resolution
The Pakistani statement came amid wider international discussion about cartographic representations following a United Nations General Assembly vote on September 4 concerning a new world map.
The resolution supported the use of the Equal Earth projection, described as providing a more accurate representation of continental landmasses.
The resolution was reportedly supported by 164 countries, while the United States voted against it and six countries abstained.
The Equal Earth projection changes the visual proportions of continents compared with commonly used world maps, including reducing the apparent size of Europe and North America while increasing the relative representation of Africa.
However, Pakistan’s latest statement specifically focused on the separate issue of the internationally disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir and rejected India’s position that its official maps should determine how the region is represented.
The dispute over Jammu and Kashmir remains unresolved, with Pakistan and India maintaining opposing positions over sovereignty and the region’s future.
