New Delhi: India on Thursday slammed Pakistan for holding elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, saying it was aimed at hiding Pakistan’s illegal occupation of its territory.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava asserted that Gilgit-Baltistan was an integral part of India since 1947.
Asked at an online briefing about elections held in Gilgit-Baltistan and protests against the poll process there, he said, “I had given a few answers before the elections. Elections in Gilgit-Baltistan are nothing but a sham and their aim is to hide Pakistan’s illegal occupation of areas of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”
“We reiterate that along with Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan has been an integral part of India since 1947,” Mr Srivastava said.
India had earlier also slammed Pakistan for its decision to hold elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and said any action to alter the status of the militarily-occupied region has no legal basis.