Pakistan on Friday, June 5, strongly rejected India’s criticism of the upcoming elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, scheduled to be held on June 7, describing New Delhi’s remarks as “baseless” and reaffirming its position on the region.
In a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, Islamabad said it “categorically rejects India’s baseless remarks regarding the upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan,” emphasising that the electoral process reflects the democratic aspirations of the region’s residents.
The response came after India lodged a formal protest against Pakistan’s decision to conduct elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, a territory that New Delhi considers an integral part of India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including Gilgit-Baltistan, legally acceded to India in 1947 and remain an inseparable part of the country.
“The Government of India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan regarding its plans to hold ‘general elections’ to the so-called Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly in Indian territories illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan,” the MEA said in a statement.
India maintained that Pakistan’s efforts to organise elections in the region cannot alter the legal status of the territory. New Delhi further accused Islamabad of attempting to legitimise its control over the area through electoral exercises.
The MEA also alleged that Pakistan continues to preside over serious human rights concerns in the territories under its control. According to India, issues including political repression, economic exploitation, restrictions on freedoms, and other rights violations remain prevalent in the region.
“The Government of India categorically rejects any attempts by Pakistan to bring material change to areas under Pakistan’s illegal occupation,” the statement said, adding that such actions cannot conceal what India describes as Pakistan’s continued unlawful possession of Indian territory.
The latest exchange highlights the long-standing dispute between India and Pakistan over the broader Jammu and Kashmir region, with both countries maintaining competing claims over various parts of the territory.
The disagreement over Gilgit-Baltistan remains one of several contentious issues that continue to strain relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on June 7 amid renewed diplomatic tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi over the status of the region.
