'No Legal Value': Pakistan On Supreme Court Verdict Upholding Abrogation Of Article 370

Pakistan said that India's SC decision upholding the repeal of Article 370 has "no legal value," claiming that international law does not recognise New Delhi's "unilateral and illegal actions".

File Photo: Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani

Source : Getty Images

Pakistan asserted on Monday that India's Supreme Court's decision upholding the abrogation of Article 370 holds "no legal value" under international law. The apex court unanimously supported the Indian government's move in August 2019 to revoke Article 370, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"International law doesn't recognise India's unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019. The judicial endorsement by the Indian Supreme Court has no legal value. Kashmiris have an inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions," stated Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani in a post on X.

International law doesn't recognize India’s unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019. The judicial endorsement by the Indian Supreme Court has no legal value. Kashmiris have an inalienable right to self determination in accordance with the relevant UN SC resolutions.

— Jalil Abbas Jilani (@JalilJilani) December 11, 2023

According to a report by the news agency PTI, former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif criticised the Supreme Court's verdict, labelling it a "biased decision". Sharif accused the Indian Supreme Court of violating international laws by going against United Nations resolutions. He asserted that the court betrayed the sacrifice of millions of Kashmiris and predicted that the "freedom movement" in Kashmir would intensify, with no reduction in the struggle.

Shehbaz Sharif, who served as prime minister from April 2022 to August 2023, pledged that under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, PML-N would advocate for the rights of Kashmiris at all levels, as reported by PTI. 

Tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly concerning the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan, have been a recurring challenge. The situation worsened after India's abrogation of Article 370, leading to Pakistan expelling the Indian envoy and downgrading trade ties.

India consistently maintains that Kashmir is an internal matter, expressing a desire for normal, friendly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, violence, and hostility.