Departing from its declared policy on Kashmir, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that Islamabad would let the people of J&K decide if they want to join Pakistan or turn into an “independent nation”.

India has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is & shall forever” remain an integral part of India. Addressing an election rally in Tarar Khal area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the run-up to local polls on July 25, Pak PM also rejected claims by opposition leaders that his government was working on a plan to make Kashmir a province of Pakistan.

The statement comes just days after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz addressed an election gathering in PoK and said that a decision had been taken to change the status of Kashmir and make it a province.

“I do not know where all this talk (about province) has sprung from,” said Khan.

Instead, he said that soon Kashmiris would be allowed to decide their future as per the UN resolutions. Adding, that the people of Kashmir on that day would decide to join Pakistan.

He added that following the UN-mandated referendum, “his government will hold another referendum to give the people of Kashmir a choice to either live with Pakistan or become an independent state.” As per Pakistan’s declared policy on Kashmir, the issue should be resolved as per the UN resolution through a referendum allowing Kashmiris to choose either Pakistan or India.

PM Khan departed from the policy by talking about a third option. According to the UN resolution, the provision of independence doesn’t exist at all.

India has previously, as a matter of policy, stated that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India. New Delhi has also told Islamabad that issues related to the state are its internal matter & the country is capable of solving its own problems.

Friday was the last day of campaigning for elections in PoK on July 25.