India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan about the “general election” scheduled to be held for the “Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly” in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Sunday, iterating New Delhi’s demand that Islamabad vacate these areas immediately.
In a statement on Friday, the external affairs ministry said India had lodged a protest but did not specify when. “The government of India reiterated its well-known position that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, including the so-called ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’, are integral and inalienable parts of India as a result of complete, legal and irrevocable accession of Jammu & Kashmir to India in 1947.”
While registering India’s protest over the elections, New Delhi emphasised that such endeavours by Islamabad cannot mask the underlying issues of grave human rights violations, political repression, economic exploitation and denial of freedom in territories illegally occupied by Pakistan.
“The government of India categorically rejects any attempts by Pakistan to bring material change to areas under Pakistan’s illegal occupation, and
underlines that such actions cannot hide the fact that Pakistan illegally remains in possession of Indian territories, which it must vacate,” the ministry said.
In a statement, Pakistan's foreign office said it "categorically rejects India's baseless remarks regarding the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan".
Formerly known as the Northern Areas, Gilgit-Baltistan was under direct federal administration of Pakistan till 2009. Billed as an autonomous region, elections were introduced there in 2009 as part of the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order.