Pakistan rejects India’s 'self-serving' comments on AJK elections

Pakistan categorically rejected on Friday the false, untenable and self-serving comments made by the Indian External Affairs Ministry regarding the recently concluded elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a press release issued by the Foreign Office, the Indian Charge D’Affaires was summoned to the foreign ministry to convey Pakistan’s complete rejection of India’s sham protest and to reiterate Pakistan’s clear and consistent position on the Indian Illegally-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

"India cannot hide the fact that it is in illegal occupation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir. To perpetuate its occupation of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), India has committed horrendous human rights violations against innocent Kashmiris over the past seven decades, and particularly since 5 August 2019," the press release stated.

The Foreign Office maintained that while the people of AJK enjoyed the fruits of the free and participatory electoral process, IIOJK bleeds under India’s illegal occupation.

"The Jammu and Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India has been on the agenda of the UN Security Council since 1948. It remains an internationally recognised dispute, as affirmed by the relevant Security Council resolutions," the press release stated.

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It added that despite the solemn commitments made by the government of India in numerous official communications to the Security Council, to Pakistan, to other states and to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to abide by and implement the UN Security Council’s resolutions, India had reneged on these commitments over the years.

"India’s illegal actions of 5 August 2019, seeking to unilaterally alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir and India’s illegal steps to change the occupied territory’s demographic structure, contravene several UN Security Council resolutions," the press released maintained.

It further said that the Security Council had clearly delineated the principle that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir would be made in accordance with the will of the people, expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations.

"India must immediately end its illegal occupation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir, stop its egregious violations of the human rights in IIOJK, and take steps for immediate and full implementation of the UNSC resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," , the press release concluded.