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The Foreign Office (FO) said on Thursday that India had “neither the standing nor the moral authority” to comment on the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which are being held in phases amid security concerns and unrest in the region.
FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made the remarks while addressing a weekly press briefing, where he was asked about the Indian External Affairs Ministry’s (MEA) “reaction” to the ongoing polls. While the question did not elaborate further, the Indian ministry had termed the polls a “farce” on Tuesday, saying that such “hollow exercises” could not hide the reality.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the baseless and politically motivated remarks of the Indian MEA regarding the ongoing legislative elections in the AJK,” Andrabi said on Thursday.
“It is unsurprising that India has chosen to issue such remarks on the eve of the 7th anniversary of its illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, through which it seeks to alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, adding that actions violated the relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, international law, and India’s international commitments.
