India took the leadership of the G20, often regarded as the most significant and powerful international forum, on December 1, 2022. India took on the chairmanship of this crucial multilateral organization at a time when the globe is still battling global inflation and a global climate emergency as a result of COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, escalating Sino-US antagonism, and rising food and energy costs worldwide. The G-20 summit is going to be held by India in Jammu and Kashmir in this year (2023), which is an internationally recognized disputed territory. India has been occupying the Jammu and Kashmir region forcibly and illegally since 1947, and the conflict has been on the UN Security Council’s agenda for more than 70 years . India intends to hold certain G-20 event in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. India’s attempt do so is absolutely rejected by Pakistan. India is attempting to depict the disputed zone as normal by holding this event in Jammu and Kashmir. India actually wants to pretend to the international community that there is no violation of Human Rights as pretended by Pakistan. As mass killings, enforced disappearances and sexual abuses are a few examples of how human rights are being violated in Jammu and Kashmir by India, along with the political repression and the suppression of free expression. The reality however is significantly different from what India asserts as officials in the disputed territory are allegedly complicated in serious human rights violation. In addition to summit meetings, India plans to host 200 meetings across the nation in 32 various sectors from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, as part of its G20 Presidency. The main aspect of India after holding G-20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir is to create its positive image at international level referring to Article 370.Through holding G-20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir, India is conveying message to Pakistan that Kashmir is a peaceful area for conducting official summits and a permanent part of India. The main reason of India after holding G-20 summit especially in Jammu and Kashmir is to convince international community that Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India rather than Pakistan. Through these lame excuses/explanations, India wants to merge Jammu and Kashmir as its territory; which is a disputed region between Pakistan and India.
Pakistan vehemently opposed India’s proposal to hold the upcoming G20 Summit in the unlawfully occupied Jammu and Kashmir, despite the territory’s widely recognized disputed status, saying that it was a travesty that the international community cannot tolerate under any circumstances. Foreign office of Pakistan reports that the widespread atrocities and grave human rights violations in IOJK are the fault of India. According to the reports of foreign office of Pakistan, Indian forces have killed 639 innocent Kashmiri people in extra-judicial killings since its illegal and unilateral actions on 5 August, 2019 . More than 11,000 Kashmiri women have been sexually assaulted by Indian forces over the course of 3 decades. Numerous UN assessments, particularly the two requested by the office of the High commissioner for human rights (OHCHR) in 2018 and 2019, have reaffirmed continued Indian atrocities against the Kashmiris. India has been attempting to alter the population composition of the occupied territory in blatant defiance of pertinent UN Security council decisions, international law, and the fourth Geneva Convention for so many years. Additionally, Pakistan implores the international community to pressure India to stop its flagrant and persistent breaches of human rights in IOJK, reverse its illegal and unilateral acts from 5 August, 2019 and release all political prisoners, including the real Kashmiri prisoners, including the Kashmiri leaders. Foreign office reminded India in a statement, that IOJK is a well-known “disputed” area between Islamabad and New Delhi, according to the UN.
In an effort to prevent India from hosting any events or meetings of the g20 in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan will specifically reach out to the G20 nations with which it has close relations. Pakistan is attempting to influence its close G20 allies to boycott from the summit, which would be hosted in IOJK. Pakistan would communicate its concerns to turkey, Saudi Arabia and china . In order to oppose India’s strategy, Pakistan would also communicate with the US and the UK. China criticized India’s proposal to convene the G20 summit in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) and urged the group members to concentrate on the global economy’s recovery rather than politicking the pertinent issue.
India plainly wants to compel the entire world to acknowledge its authority over the Jammu and Kashmir; the contentious region between the India and Pakistan. India wants to pretend the positive image of itself to the global world. After holding G-20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir illegally, India treatoursly wants to show that there are no atrocities and mass killings in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir shown by Pakistan. As many countries are in favor of this summit but it is a complete travesty and blatant act on the part of India which international community should not accept at all?
— Student of International Relations UAJK, Muzaffarabad
Email: Rabiajamil781@gmail.com