After Punjab & Haryana, Karnataka State Bar Council Condemns Protest By Pakistani Bar Associations Against G20 Meeting In Kashmir
The Karnataka State Bar Council has issued a press release condemning the resolution passed by Bar Associations of Pakistan against the G20 meeting by the Indian Government in Kashmir.
Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council passed a resolution condemning the action and called it an act that smacks of desperation. (read report)
The Sindh High Court Bar Association had passed a resolution on May 20 to observe a full day strike on May 22 "as a mark of complete protest against decision of Indian Government for holding G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in dispute territory of Srinagar, India Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJK) and to express solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir".
The third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting is being held from 22 to 24 May 2023 in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Under India’s G20 Tourism Track, the Tourism Working Group is working on five inter-connected priority areas, which are Green Tourism; Digitalization; Skills; MSMEs and Destination.
"Jammu and Kashmir including Pak Occupied Kashmir (POK) is an integral part of India and therefore the protest and the resolutions passed by the Bar Council and Bar Associations of Pakistan needs to be condemned in the strongest possible manner, in order to send a clear and unambiguous message to Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and no other Country can interfere with our internal affairs", the press release signed by HL Vishala Raghu, the Chairman of Karnataka State Bar Council said.
The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has said in a statement issued by its Chairman pursuant to a resolution by the Council that, "While beautiful Srinagar extends a warm welcome to all international G20 delegates at the 3rd TWG meet, such press release/communique/resolution is not in the right earnest and smacks of desperation. Such mendacious statements are only designed to suit oblique political motives. Such Bar bodies, attempting to engineer hatred have unscrupulously toed the line of the current political dispensation in Pakistan".
Around 60 foreign delegates arrived in Kashmir on May 22 for the meeting. The meeting is the first international event held in Kashmir after Article 370, amid tight security. Some nations, including Pakistan's ally China, have abstained from the meeting since it is being held in Kashmir.
