Pakistan cannot hide the serious human rights violations in Gilgit-Baltistan, India said.
New Delhi:
Pakistan’s move to designate Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province aims to “cover up its illegal occupation” of the region, but it cannot “hide serious human rights violations, exploitation and denial of freedom “of the people for more than seven decades,” said India. while Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced this afternoon the status of provisional province of Gilgit-Baltistan. “We call on Pakistan to immediately leave all areas under its illegal occupation,” the foreign ministry said.
Gilgit-Baltistan – part of Jammu and Kashmir – was illegally occupied by Pakistan after partition in 1947. Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Supreme Court authorized the government to hold elections in the region. The election will take place on November 15, Imran Khan said, despite opposition from India and enormous anger in the region, which had semi-autonomous status.
<< The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the region of the so-called << Gilgit-Baltistan >>, are an integral part of India by virtue of the legal, full and irrevocable accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the Indian Union in 1947, ”said Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava.
The government has said it “strongly rejects” Pakistan’s attempt “to make material changes to part of Indian territory under its illegal and forced occupation.”
“Instead of seeking to change the status of these Indian territories, we call on Pakistan to immediately leave all areas under its illegal occupation,” the ministry said.
Pakistan’s move comes amid huge opposition from its national groups, who accuse it of systematically exploiting the region.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan would vote overwhelmingly against Pakistani government candidates Tehreek-e-Insaf.
