Summary Foreign Office says Indian assertions distort established facts
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan has firmly rejected India’s statements regarding the elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, with the Foreign Office describing the remarks as unfounded and reiterating Islamabad’s longstanding position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Foreign Office spokesperson said India’s comments on the electoral process in Gilgit-Baltistan were based on “baseless claims” and formed part of what Pakistan described as a persistent effort to distort facts. The spokesperson said Islamabad completely rejects the latest expression of the Indian narrative on the issue.
According to the Foreign Office, India remains in occupation of what it termed the internationally recognised disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The statement asserted that the dispute continues to be one of the longest unresolved issues on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council.
The spokesperson said the Kashmir dispute originated from what Pakistan describes as India’s forcible and unlawful occupation of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. Islamabad maintained that a just and lasting settlement can only be achieved through the full implementation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The Foreign Office further stated that India’s claims regarding Gilgit-Baltistan could not divert attention from what it called the actions of Indian forces in the disputed region.
Pakistan also called on India to vacate all occupied territories and reverse the measures introduced in Indian-administered Kashmir after 5 August 2019, which Islamabad considers illegal and unilateral.
The statement additionally urged India to repeal what it described as restrictive laws, grant access to impartial observers, international organisations and global media, and ensure that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are able to exercise their right to self-determination in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
