Pakistan rejects India’s remarks on Gilgit-Baltistan elections, reaffirms stand on Jammu and Kashmir

International

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (NPA) — Pakistan has strongly rejected India’s comments on the upcoming elections in Gilgit‑Baltistan, describing them as “baseless and tendentious propaganda.” In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad accused New Delhi of attempting to distort facts and spread misinformation about the region.

The statement asserted that India’s remarks were part of a “carefully choreographed attempt to conflate fact with fiction,” adding that Pakistan “unequivocally rejects this latest Indian rhetoric with the contempt it deserves.” It reiterated that India remains in “illegal occupation” of the internationally recognised disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which Pakistan described as the longest unresolved issue on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Pakistan emphasised that the only just and lasting resolution of the Kashmir dispute lies in the full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, guaranteeing the Kashmiri people their right to self‑determination through a free and impartial plebiscite.

The statement also accused Indian forces of grave human‑rights violations in Indian‑Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), citing “continued impunity under draconian laws” and describing the situation as “state terrorism against unarmed Kashmiris.”

Calling on India to vacate all occupied territories, Pakistan urged New Delhi to reverse unilateral actions taken since August 5, 2019, repeal restrictive laws, and allow access to neutral observers, international human‑rights organisations, and media to assess conditions on the ground.

Islamabad reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Kashmiri people’s right to self‑determination in line with UN resolutions, insisting that India’s “unfounded assertions” cannot divert global attention from the humanitarian crisis in the region.