India Foils Pakistan's Bid To Arrange 'PoK President' Meeting In French Assembly

India successfully foiled Pakistan’s ploy to arrange a meeting of the ‘president’ of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) at the French National Assembly. The Pakistani side was trying to facilitate the meeting of ‘PoK President’ Masood Khan at the National Assembly on September 24. The Indian Embassy issued a demarche to the French Embassy making it clear that any invitation to Masood will be violation of India’s sovereign rights, reports ET.

It is being reported that French government had indicated France-Pakistan Friendship Group to refrain from any association with Masood Khan at the event. 

Masood Khan was invited by the French Parliament as chief guest but when he was not allowed by the government, Pakistan’s envoy in France Moin-Ul Haque spoke on his behalf.

India and France share strong diplomatic relations as the former has been a continuous source of support for India. It has always backed India over Jammu and Kashmir and was among the first batch of nations which supported the designation of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. France played a crucial role in blocking China’s efforts of internationalising the Kashmir issue in a closed-door informal session.

India and Pakistan should resolve the Kashmir issue bilaterally and no third party should “interfere or incite” violence in the region, French President Emmanuel Macron had said. Speaking after Macron, Prime Minister Modi said the relationship between India and France is not based on any selfishness, but on solid ideals of ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’.