NEW DELHI: India has described as an “exercise in political absurdity” a new map released by Pakistan that has laid claim to the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The new map issued by Pakistan also lays claim on Junagadh in Gujarat state.

Pakistan had released the political map in Islamabad in which Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan termed it as a “first step towards a political struggle” to achieve the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir, Indian media reported.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs described the “so-called ‘political map’ of Pakistan” as “an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and of Ladakh”.

“These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms [the] reality of Pakistan’s obsession with territorial aggrandizement supported by cross-border terrorism,” the ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan issued the new political map ahead of the first anniversary of the Indian government’s decision on August 5, 2019 to scrap Jammu & Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

(With inputs from Agencies)