India Condemns Crackdown in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Reiterates Position on J&K
New Delhi: India on Friday (July 31) alleged that the Pakistani establishment had used “ruthless force” against civilians in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), saying over 40 people had been killed and many others injured in a “crackdown".
“The Pakistani establishment's complete disregard for the innocent people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir became evident when its Defence Minister described the protesting civilians as 'enemies',” the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said at a media briefing.
Voting in PoJK began on July 27 and is being held in phases until August 10, but the process has been overshadowed by low voter turnout and violent clashes between protesters and security forces. A communications blackout was imposed on the area. Reports have put the casualties of a police crackdown at between 20 and more than 40.
Speaking to the press, the MEA spokesperson referred to the Pakistan prime minister's special assistant on political affairs saying that militants "armed and trained to shed Indian blood have now turned their guns against their own country".
“This admission amounts to a humiliating indictment of the Pakistani establishment,” the spokesperson said.
India pointed out that people in PoJK had sought an independent international investigation into the reported unlawful killings. The spokesperson urged the international community to “closely examine Pakistan's actions and hold it accountable".
On questions regarding the nomenclature of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, India reiterated that they “were part of India, are part of India and will continue to be part of India" and urged all “partners and stakeholders" to use the correct nomenclature.
The PoJK assembly reserves 12 seats for people originally from Jammu and Kashmir who migrated to Pakistan after 1947 and now live elsewhere in the country. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), formed in 2023, argues that the country’s mainstream political parties use representatives from these seats to give them disproportionate influence over the region's politics and has demanded that these seats be abolished.
A court ruling early in June that these seats are protected by the constitution of Pakistan and therefore cannot be removed without a constitutional amendment intensified the JAAC's protests. The regional government in PoJK banned JAAC under anti-terrorism laws a day before a planned demonstration on June 9 and arrested dozens of its followers.
India had said on June 9 that it hoped the international community would hold Islamabad accountable “for its misdeeds and its abuses”. Asked about attempts to blame India for the unrest, the external affairs ministry had also said Pakistan is making “desperate” attempts to “cover up its own failings”. India earlier described the elections in POJK as a “cosmetic” exercise.
