A government official reported that hundreds of people demonstrated in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Monday in opposition to India’s choice to host the G20 tourism summit in its portion of the contentious Himalayan territory.
The important summit will be held by India from Monday through Wednesday in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir’s summer region, over opposition from Pakistan and China, India’s longtime ally.
According to the official Raja Azhar Iqbal, some demonstrators demonstrated in Muzaffarabad and other places while yelling, “Go India go back and boycott, boycott G20 boycott!”
The territory was visited by the foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who spoke to the Kashmiri assembly on Monday. He described the G20 summit as being unlawful and an effort by India to gain legitimacy for its rule over the contentious area.
The first major international gathering in the area following annexation is the G20 tourism working group meeting.
An inquiry for comment was not answered by the Indian foreign ministry.
Since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have engaged in three wars, two of which have been fought over Kashmir, which both countries claim in its entirety but only partially govern.
The European Union and 19 wealthy nations make up the G20. India now holds the presidency and will host the annual summit in September in New Delhi.
Although the level of violence against Indian authority has decreased in recent years and domestic unrest has decreased, India hopes the gathering will help reinvigorate international tourism in the picturesque Kashmir Valley.
