In a faux pas, Lok Sabha TV-- a channel owned and run by the Lok Sabha -- recently put out a map of Jammu and Kashmir with parts of the state under Pakistan’s Occupation designated as ‘Azad Kashmir’.
The official map of the country shows the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Gilgit-Baltistan region under Pakistan’s Occupation and the Chinese occupied Aksai Chin as integral parts of India.
The map showing PoK as Azad Kashmir was shown during a discussion on the programme ‘Indian Defence Analysis’, which had former Air Commodore Trilok Chand, former Maj Gen Ravi Arora and former Lt Gen Ata Hasnain on the guest panel.
Seema Gupta, chief executive officer of the LSTV, refused to speak on the issue and said she will have to look up the footage. A source in channel however said , that an “old map had been inadvertently used”.
India has several times in the past taken umbrage at the use of ‘Azad Kashmir’ for PoK by foreign media.
In 2011, The Economist magazine was ordered by the Indian authorities to distribute copies of the weekly with stickers manually placed over a map that showed how control of Kashmir was split between India, Pakistan and China.
{{/usCountry}}In 2011, The Economist magazine was ordered by the Indian authorities to distribute copies of the weekly with stickers manually placed over a map that showed how control of Kashmir was split between India, Pakistan and China.
{{/usCountry}}PoK has been under Pakistan’s control since the tribal invasion of state in October 1947.
In June 2015, India has condemned the election in Gilgit and Baltistan under the so-called ‘Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self Government Order’ as an “attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the regions”.
“India’s position is well known. The entire state of J&K which includes the regions of Gilgit and Baltistan is an integral part of India,” a spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs had said.