India rejects polls in parts of J&K occupied by Pakistan, calls it 'cosmetic exercise'

India on Thursday dismissed the recent elections conducted in parts of Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan as “a cosmetic exercise” by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government in Islamabad.

New Delhi lodged a strong protest with Islamabad over the elections, alleging that it was an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation of the territory of India. India also protested reference to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in a joint statement issued by China and Pakistan, after a recent meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two nations.

The polling for election of 45 of the 53 members of the assembly in J&K areas India accuses Pakistan of illegally occupying was held last Sunday. Twelve of the seats filled through elections are reserved for people, who had migrated from the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state of India and settled in mainland Pakistan. Five seats, which are filled through nomination, are reserved for women and three seats – one each for religious scholars, technocrats and overseas Kashmiris.

New Delhi noted that the elections were protested and rejected by the local people.

“Such an exercise can neither hide the illegal occupation by Pakistan nor the grave human rights violations, exploitation, and denial of freedom to people in these occupied territories,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said. “Pakistan has no locus standi on these Indian territories. We call upon Pakistan to vacate all Indian areas under its illegal occupation.”

Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), won 25 of the seats that went to polls, defeating the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), which won just 11 and six seats respectively. The local parties, Muslim Conference (MC) and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party (JKPP), got one seat each.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently hosted his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Beijing. According to a joint statement issued after the meeting between the two Foreign Ministers, Qureshi ‘briefed’ Wang on the “deteriorating situation” in J&K under control of India. Wang reiterated the Chinese Government’s position that the issue of J&K was a dispute left over from history between India and Pakistan and it should be resolved peacefully and properly through the United Nations Charter, relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the bilateral agreements. China also echoed Pakistan in opposing “any unilateral actions that complicate the situation”, apparently referring to the August 5, 2019 decision of the Government of India to strip J&K of its special status and to reorganize the state into two Union Territories.

New Delhi rejected the reference to J&K in China-Pakistan joint statement. The union territories of J&K and Ladakh have been and will remain integral and inalienable parts of India, Bagchi told journalists on Thursday. He also denounced reference to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through India’s J&K areas illegally occupied by Pakistan. “We resolutely oppose any attempts by other countries to change the status quo in areas illegally occupied by Pakistan as also to Pakistan bringing up any material change in Indian territories under its illegal occupation. We call upon parties concerned to cease such actions,” said the MEA spokesperson.