India has strongly objected to the visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, Jane Marriott, to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), terming it as "highly objectionable." A formal protest has been lodged with the British High Commissioner in India following Jane Marriott's visit to Mirpur city in the PoK region, accompanied by an official from the UK Foreign Office.
"India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on 10 January 2024," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. "Such infringement of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable," it added.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this 'infringement'.
The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh "have been and shall always remain an integral part of India," MEA added.
In October last year, the US envoy to Pakistan, Donald Blome, toured the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region. New Delhi expressed its 'strong objection' to the visit, urging the international community to uphold India's "sovereignty and territorial integrity."