India Condemns US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's Visit To Pak-Occupied Kashmir

India today condemned US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's visit to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The Congresswoman is on a four-day visit to Pakistan starting April 20, where she has also met former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his successor Shahbaz Sharif.

Answering a question about her visit to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, the foreign ministry spokesperson said it is condemnable.

"If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home that may be her business, but violating our territorial integrity in its pursuit makes this ours. Condemnable," the ministry said.

The Congresswoman is on a four-day visit to Pakistan -- April 20-24 -- where apart from having meetings with the political leadership in Islamabad, she was to visit parts of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The Prime Minister's Office had said that she will visit Lahore and "Azad Jammu and Kashmir" to have a greater understanding of Pakistan's cultural, social, political, and economic potential.

Kashmir always figures largely in Pakistan's interactions with the US and it was also discussed between Prime Minister Sharif and Ms Omar.

Mr Sharif told reporters that he had raised Kashmir with the 39-year-old lawmaker, known for her anti-India stance, and stressed the importance of peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue, enabling the region to realise its economic potential and promote social progress, reported news agency Press Trust of India.

Ms Omar's visit is largely directed at a reboot of the US-Pakistan relations after deposed Prime Minister Imran Khan's allegations of conspiracy. The opposition, Mr Khan had alleged, has conspired with the US to see him out of office through a no-trust vote in the national assembly.

Ms Omar, who represents Minnesota in the US House of Representatives, has already met Mr Khan, who is also the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.