• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. India insists J&K, Ladakh depicted as integral territory.
  2. Pakistan rejects India's stance, calls J&K disputed.
  3. UN resolution focuses on equal-area map projections.

New Delhi/Islamabad: Pakistan has fumed over India’s support for a UN General Assembly resolution aimed at correcting the world map to promote a "more accurate representation" of continental landmasses. However, it kept the facts straight- Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, and there should not be any confusion while publishing the updated world map.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said a UN-initiated proposed world map must depict the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in accordance with the country's official map, and any "inaccurate" or "misleading" representation will be unacceptable.

Reacting to the stern conditions of New Delhi, Islamabad said it categorically rejects “India's baseless assertions regarding the status of J&K, which are contrary to internationally recognised facts. India's unilateral actions and continued illegal occupation cannot alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.”

 

“The J&K dispute remains one of the oldest unresolved, internationally recognised disputes on the agenda of the UN Security Council. The relevant UN resolutions stipulate that its final disposition must be made in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the will of the Kashmiri people, expressed through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices,” added the statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on X.

The Pakistani side asserted that the official UN maps, which depict J&K as a disputed territory, remain the only 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, it added.

What are India's no-compromise conditions?

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India highlighted that the resolution does not constitute endorsement of any specific map, projection or depiction of national boundaries. "India voted in favour of the resolution and also made an explanation of the vote stressing the underlying principle of promoting equal - area cartographic representation," he said. Jaiswal was responding to a media query on the issue.

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"India's sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, must be depicted in accordance with India's official map. Any inaccurate or misleading depiction is unacceptable," he said. "Our position on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is clear, consistent and non-negotiable," he noted.

Backing should not be confused with any alteration regarding boundaries: India

Jaiswal said the purpose of the UN resolution is "to encourage the use of equal-area map projections that preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses." "The resolution neither adopts nor authenticates any particular world map, nor does it address political cartography, including international boundaries, disputed territories or place names," he said.

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The resolution, sponsored by Togo, received 164 votes in favour, with abstentions from Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine, and a lone vote against from the United States.

Why does a small African nation push for an updated world map?

Togo pushed for an updated world map at the UN because it believes the commonly used Mercator projection distorts the true size of continents, particularly making Africa appear much smaller than it actually is. The country argues that this distorted representation can influence how people, especially children, perceive Africa’s geographical importance.

(With inputs from agency)

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