‘Irresponsible’

Pakistan yesterday condemned India's decision to hold Group of 20 meetings in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir next month, calling the move "irresponsible". Kashmir is claimed in full but ruled in part by the two nuclear-armed neighbours who have fought two of their three wars over control of the region. India currently holds the rotating year-long presidency of the G20 and is set to host a leaders' summit in New Delhi in early September. On Friday, India released a full calendar of events leading up to the summit, which included G20 and Youth 20 meetings in Kashmir's summer capital of Srinagar and in Leh, in the neighbouring region of Ladakh, in April and May. Pakistan's foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the choice of venues in disputed territory. "India's irresponsible move is the latest in a series of self serving measures to perpetuate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir," it said.