India hits out at Imran Khan for his comments on JK domicile rules

India on Saturday hit out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for commenting on the domicile rules for Jammu and Kashmir, saying repeated attempts to interfere in India's internal affairs will not make its "untenable" claims acceptable.

Khan on Thursday criticised India's new domicile rules for Jammu and Kashmir, calling them an attempt to alter the demography of the union territory.

"We have seen the intemperate remarks by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on India. With regard to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, it is very clear that Pakistan has no locus standi whatsoever on any aspect pertaining to it," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He was responding to a query on Khan's comments.

"Repeated attempts to interfere in India's internal affairs will not make its untenable claims any more acceptable," Kumar said.

Pakistan has been ramping up attack on India after it announced withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated the state into two union territories in August last year.

"If Pakistan really wants to contribute to the welfare of the people of J&K, it could do so best by ending cross-border terrorism and desisting from its campaign of violence and false propaganda," the MEA spokesperson said.

The government on April 1 issued a notification prescribing new guidelines on reservation of jobs in the union territory.

However, it has been amended following protests.

On April 1, while laying down the rules for domiciles, the government had reserved jobs up to group 4 only.

However, following angry reactions from local political parties, an amended gazette notification -- titled the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order-2020 -- was put out on Friday night, reserving jobs for the domiciles of the UT, which was formed in October last year after the Centre withdrew the special status of the erstwhile state and announced its bifurcation.