India-Pakistan ‘meteorological warfare’ heats up: Radio Pakistan has J&K weather bulletin now

After DD and AIR started airing weather forecasts from PoK regions, Radio Pakistan featured updates from Srinagar, Pulwama and Ladakh Sunday.

A file photo of Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

New Delhi: A ‘weather war’ seems to be brewing between India and Pakistan after Pakistan’s national broadcaster Radio Pakistan featured weather updates from union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Sunday.

The move comes days after the Indian government’s decision Friday to begin weather forecasts for regions under Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) — Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.

Weather reports from Srinagar, Pulwama and Ladakh were carried in the news bulletin by Pakistan’s state-owned broadcaster.

However, Radio Pakistan reportedly made a gaffe while tweeting the weather forecast for Ladakh. “In Ladakh, maximum temperature is -4 degree centigrade and minimum temperature is -1 degree centigrade,” the tweet read.

Twitter users were quick to point out that -4 degree Celsius is less than -1 degree Celsius and therefore could not be the maximum temperature. The tweet was deleted soon after.

Wow Radio Pakistan.. Didnt study in School ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/blqBxFpaui

— Rosy (@rose_k01) May 10, 2020

The ‘weather war’

India’s decision to begin weather forecasts of regions under PoK came after the India Meteorological Department placed Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur under the Jammu and Kashmir subdivision last week.

The ‘weather war’ — a diplomatic move by India — started after Pakistan’s Supreme Court issued notices to the advocate general of Gilgit-Baltistan in late April, directing them to amend the Gilgit-Baltistan Order-2018 and establish a caretaker government there.

A seven-member bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court accepted the government’s plea to amend the 2018 order so that the upcoming general elections can be held by September and an interim caretaker government be set up in the meantime.

Reacting to the order, the Ministry of External Affairs had said the government of Pakistan or its judiciary “has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it”.

The tenure of the current Gilgit-Baltistan government expires in June this year and the elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan Council will be held within two months.

Despite being controlled administratively from Islamabad since 1947, Gilgit-Baltistan continues to remain a disputed region between India and Pakistan, and hence has not been officially integrated in Pakistan. However, the people of the region have been demanding the status of Pakistani citizens with constitutional rights.