NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan over the continuing crackdown on civilians in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), saying at least 90 civilians have lost their lives since June and called the local elections in the region a “complete farce”.
Addressing a biweekly press briefing in the national capital, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for atrocities against civilians.
“Since June this year, at least 90 civilians have lost their lives in the continuing crackdown. The Pakistani Establishment has answered public discontent with bullets, blackouts, intimidation and repression, and now seeks to manufacture legitimacy through a hollow electoral exercise,” Jaiswal said.
He also criticised the recently conducted local elections in PoJK, saying the electoral exercise could not conceal the situation on the ground.
“This so-called local election in PoK is a complete farce. The real happening is that of public protests and wanton killings by Pakistani forces. Such hollow exercises cannot hide reality,” he said.
Jaiswal further urged the international community to hold Islamabad accountable. “It must be held accountable, and the world should see through the flimsy veneer of Pakistan’s hypocritical lecturing on human rights,” he said.
Responding to a question on calls for a shutdown in Pakistani universities ahead of the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, Jaiswal said international community must hold Islamabad “accountable” for 90 people killed by Pakistani forces in PoJK.
“Regarding the question on August 5th, first, let us focus on what’s happening in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. 90 people have been killed in the brutality by the Pakistani forces, and the international community must take and must hold Pakistan accountable for these atrocities,” he said.
His remarks came amid reports of protests, disruptions and alleged use of force in PoJK during the local election process. The election reportedly witnessed widespread disruptions and logistical failures on Sunday, while demonstrations were reported across the region and among Kashmiri communities in Pakistani cities, including Karachi.
According to sources, police detained several protesters and student leaders during the demonstrations.
Human rights and press freedom organisations, including Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ Asia), have raised concerns over alleged state violence, restrictions on the media and communication shutdowns surrounding the protests.
The monitoring groups have raised alarms over reported enforced disappearances of journalists, restrictions on foreign media outlets and widespread internet shutdowns, while calling for an end to the crackdown and transparent investigations into alleged human rights violations.
Amnesty International has also highlighted reports of force being used against demonstrators in Rawalakot and called for an immediate external inquiry.
Jaiswal doubled down on India’s call for Pakistan to take strong action against cross-border terrorism and dismantle terrorist infrastructure on its soil.
“We continue to call upon countries to take strong action against cross-border terrorism and those promoting cross-border terrorism. We call upon Pakistan to take strong action against cross-border terrorism and the terrorist infrastructure that they have on their soil that needs to be dismantled,” he said.
The developments come seven years after the abrogation of Article 370, with India highlighting contrasting trajectories in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir and PoJK.
