NEW DELHI, July 28: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday hit out at Pakistan for the “cosmetic” elections in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), calling it an attempt to “camouflage” Islamabad’s “illegal occupation and hide its grave human rights violations.” During his regular media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal asserted that the entire J-K and Ladakh remain “integral and inalienable parts of India.”
Jaiswal slammed Pakistan for the “so-called legislative assembly elections” in the region and highlighted the dissatisfaction among the people as the protests in the PoK raged on with at least 20 people reported killed in police firing at Rawalakot.
“The current cosmetic electoral exercise is nothing but an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and hide its grave human rights violations in the region. As we have stated earlier, the ongoing mass protest in PoJK, of which you are aware, is the direct consequence of economic exploitation, its denial of fundamental rights to the people and its administrative operations,” he added.
The MEA spokesperson further reiterated that J-K and Ladakh are “integral and inalienable” parts of India. “We have seen reports regarding the so-called legislative assembly elections being conducted in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India’s position in this particular matter has been clear, consistent, and well known. The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas currently under illegal and forcible occupation of Pakistan, are integral and inalienable parts of India,” Jaiswal said.
Meanwhile, at least 19 people were reportedly killed and nearly two dozen injured in an alleged police firing on protesters in Rawalakot on Monday evening, eyewitnesses who were associated with the Awami Huqooq Long March said.
Imtiaz Aslam, a key member of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), released a video, stating that the protesters were advancing toward D-Chowk after reaching Chinar Chowk but halted for the night at Maqbool Bhat Shaheed Chowk in Rawalakot. “Today, the forces from Pakistan opened fire on our innocent youths. As a result, 14 of our young people have been martyred. Among them is Usman Nazir, the younger brother of the movement’s founder, Omar Nazir Kashmiri,” Aslam said.
(Manas Dasgupta)
