Chapter 1

New Political Map of Pakistan: Significance

and Implications

Fact Check:
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan unveiled new political map of Pakistan on August 5, 2020, one year after
the fateful Indian move to divide, and unionize the territory of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

This move was not only a reaction to Indian overtures of August 5, 2019 whereby India withdrew special status
and privileges extended to the people and territory of Jammu and Kashmir by the revocation of article 35A and
370 of the Indian Constitution.

In a fit of retaliation, exactly a year after the Indian launch of demographic apartheid in Jammu and Kashmir,
Pakistan retorted by issuing a new political map underscoring new politico-strategic realities.

Pakistan’s federal Cabinet approved the new map. Map was a consensual construct something uncommon for
the turbulent political kaleidoscope of Pakistan.

PM Khan claimed that the launch of new political map “is a first step in that direction (of making Kashmir part
of Pakistan)”.

Features of New Political Map:

•Kashmir conflict would be resolved through the UN resolutions under the auspices of United Nations’
commitments, international law and upholding aspirations of the people of Kashmir.
•Siachen is shown to be part of Pakistan, though it is disputed by India.
•Map reasserts and refutes Indian claims over Sir Creek demarcating Pakistani border on the eastern side
opposite to Indian claim which draws line on western side. Indian claims are based on Thalweg doctrine. This
would potentially add hundreds of square kilometers of sea to Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
•Map identifies occupied Kashmir as a “disputed territory”.
•Map acknowledges the relevance of UNSC resolutions on Kashmir.
•Map upholds the right of self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
•FATA has been shown as part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
•Entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir including Gilgit Baltistan has been shown in green colour.
•Line of Control has been marked with read dotted line.
•Map reads that: “the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its accession is yet to be decided through plebiscite
under the relevant UNSC resolutions.”

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•Map marks the border of Kashmir as “frontier undefined”.

•Dotted line that previously marked the disputed areas had been removed from the map.
•Map has a new nomenclature for the area of Kashmir under Indian control; Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu
and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
•New political map finally shows the lond due development with the extension of Line of Control (LoC) beyond
NJ980420 to the Karakoram Pass, separating Pakistan and India’s position in the context of Actual Ground
Position Line.
•Pakistan showed Junagadh in Indian Gujrat as part of Pakistan. Junagadh was a Hindu majority princely state
whose Muslim ruler opted to join Pakistan in 1947 but its Hindu subjects wanted to join India.

Indian Response:
Indian rejected the new political map. Indian
authorities termed the new political map “an exercise
in political absurdity”. Indians stressed that “…these
ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor
international credibility.” Indian External Affairs
Ministry in a statement labelled Pakistani actions as
“its obsessions with territorial aggrandizement
supported by cross-border terrorism”.

Pakistani Response:
Pakistan’s foreign office in response retorted, “India
cannot create a smokescreen for its illegal and
unacceptable actions in Indian Occupied Jammu and
Kashmir. It is preposterous for a country that is
compulsively expansionist, and a brazen practitioner
of state terrorism, to level charges against others.”

Significance of New Map

Pakistan’s political map highlights Pakistan’s claims of
sovereignty and its national thinking on its territorial
boundaries. This new map also invalidates all fake
maps of Pakistan. This new map is the authentic one
as far as Pakistan is concerned.

New map lends a fresh strategic thinking in the cloudy mist surrounding status of illegally annexed areas of
Jammu and Kashmir (including Ladakh) post abrogation of article 370 and 35A. It strikes down Indian claims
over Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Aksai Chin.

New map does not declare Kashmir to be a part of Pakistan rather it reaffirms Pakistan’s belated claim over the
territory of Kashmir under Indian occupation. However, Pakistan’s claims are not unqualified rather
contingent upon the exercise of right of self-determination by the people of Kashmir. Pakistan is hopeful that
whenever an impartial plebiscite is held, people of Kashmir would choose accession with Pakistan.

New political map is a step in a new direction setting quite a departing tone from Pakistan’s earlier efforts
whereby it extended olive branch to India either through Kartarpur diplomacy or setting free Abhinandan.

Qureshi claimed that this map is a signal to the unarmed youth of Kashmir living under the threat of Curfew,
and slaughter that Pakistan stands with them.

August 5, 2020 exhibited a marked difference from the previous days as Pakistan expressed solidarity with the
people of IIOJ&K in an overwhelming manner by observing “Youme Istehsal”. This reflects new resolve of
Pakistan’s political and military leadership.

By laying claims over Junagadh, Pakistan has devised an offensive plan of action.

Hindu while responding to the situation wrote, “It is quite evident that Pakistan has followed Nepal.
Kathmandu had issued a map to emphasise its illegal claims on Lipulekh, Limiyadhura and Kalapani in India’s
Uttarakhand on 21 May 2020. It is not mere coincidence that both Pakistan and Nepal are close allies of Beijing
with the latter pumping in money in form of infrastructure aid to prop up both regimes.”

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Implications of the New Political Map

New map signals a hardening of Pakistani position on a dispute that has strained ties between the South Asian
neighbors. Similarly, the map was endorsed by the political parties and government of Azad Jammu and
Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

This new move has emboldened Pakistani position on disputed valley and Ladakh. Although previously
Pakistan resorted to a much benign tone after August 5, 2019. This new move has a lens of definitive
retribution and would exacerbate already tense situation between the two neighbors.

Modi government took away Indian-administered Kashmir’s

special privileges, provoking anger in the region. Indian took
away the region’s status as a state by creating two federally
controlled territories, splitting off the thinly populated,
Budhist-dominated region of Ladakh. No, this is not
acceptable, seems to be Pakistani response with the new map.
Pakistan has effectively moved to nullify the political and
geo-strategic significance of August 5 Indian actions.

Similarly, this move by Pakistan was also important in the

context that Nepal’s parliament also changed country’s
constitution to update the contours of the map incorporating
territories claimed by India. This was not received well in
India.

Way Forward
Pakistan has always been trying to solve the Kashmir issue
peacefully. What Pakistan can do in the present scenario is to
use electronic and print media, along with diplomatic and
political platforms, to further the implications of the Kashmir
issue.
The new political map is an attempt by Pakistan to make India
realise that it will not compromise on Kashmir. While Pakistan
has enough military capability to engage India in the
battlefield, the only reason for abstention is to avoid any
nuclear conflict or inflicting suffering on the millions of
people in the region.
In short, the world in general and the Muslim world in
particular need to pacify the situation in Kashmir through
plebiscite according to the UN resolutions, which gives the
Kashmiri people the right to self-determination.

*Figure Retrieved from

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2257952/pm-unveils-new-political-map-of-pakistan

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