On Friday, a seminar titled ‘Rebuilding Trust, Renewing Regional Integration: Pathways for Revitalising SAARC’ was held at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies in Dhaka, where an Indian diplomat intervened to correct an incorrect map of India. Pooja Kumari Jha, Second Secretary at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, immediately objected to the depiction of Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan during a presentation by former Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Ahmed Tariq Karim. Jha firmly stated that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, prompting Karim to clarify that the map was used for representational purposes only. The incident has drawn widespread attention online, with many social media users praising Jha for her prompt intervention. The seminar, attended by Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, aimed to discuss regional cooperation in South Asia and ways to revitalise the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Obaed underlined the need for stronger implementation capacity and more effective mechanisms to bridge the gap between the region’s potential and performance. The exchange between Jha and Karim has been commended by many, with the Indian side reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalorean News