GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has shown Jammu and Kashmir including Ladakh as a separate entity from India, rejecting Narendra Modi-led Indian government’s claims on the territory.

The WHO in a colour-coded world map posted on its official website depicts India in blue colou, while Jammu and Kashmir including Ladakh is marked with gray colour.

India’s English newspaper ‘Times of India’ while commenting on the map confirmed that Jammu and Kashmir along with Ladakh has been shown in gray, while India is seen in a different blue color. Aksai Chin is also shown in gray color, with blue stripes on it.

The newspaper, quoting an India-based IT consultant Pankaj, who lives in London, said, he was surprised to see Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with another colour. “China can get behind all this, because it gives thick funding to the WHO,” the newspaper tried to downplay the impact while ignoring the UN-acknowledged disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference Chairman Shabbir Ahmed Dar has hailed the World Health Organization for showing Jammu Kashmir including Ladakh a separate entity from India, as against Narendra Modi government’s claim.

The world map on WHO website shows India and Jammu Kashmir as separate entities which according to WHO spokesman is as per the guidelines provided by the United Nations.

While discarding the objection by India as unrealistic, he urged the United Nations to take concrete steps to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

“This map shows that the world accepts the new map provided by Islamic Republic of Pakistan and this kind of realistic approach by the United Nations will help in building a peaceful, secure and prosperous world which has been threatened by neo-expansionist countries like India and Israel,” he added.

As a next step, he said, the UN needs to implement its resolutions to ascertain the wishes of Kashmiri people about their political future. NNI