Pakistan rejects India's 'baseless' remarks on AJK elections

Pakistan has rejected as baseless and politically motivated the remarks by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding the ongoing legislative assembly elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

At his weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said it is unsurprising that India has chosen to issue such remarks on the eve of the 7th anniversary of its illegal and unilateral elections of August 5, through which it seeks to alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir, state media Radio Pakistan reported.

“Those actions were a flagrant violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, international law and India’s own international commitments,” he said.

The spokesperson said the elections to the Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are being conducted in a peaceful, transparent and orderly manner in accordance with the constitutional and legal framework governing AJK. He said they reflect democratic aspirations and political will of the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“India has neither the legal standing nor the moral authority to comment on democratic process in AJK, while it continues to deny the people of Indian illegally occupied Kashmir their fundamental political rights and democratic freedoms,” he maintained.

He said no amount of misinformation or propaganda can alter the legal and historical reality that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory, and its final disposition is to be determined in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions as well as the freely expressed will of the Kashmiri people through the UN-administered plebiscite.

Andrabi said Indian statements are clearly intended to deflect international attention from its continued violation of international human rights and humanitarian law as well as its persistent failure to fulfill international obligations.

He reiterated Pakistan’s call on India to reverse its illegal actions and create an environment conducive to peaceful settlement of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

When asked about the UN deputy spokesperson’s statement that the August 5, 2019, actions cannot change the status of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson termed it in accordance with the international law and international resolutions. “The statement is a validation of Pakistan’s position and also a reiteration of the international legal position on the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” he stated.

In his opening statement, the spokesperson said Pakistan remains engaged alongside with its brotherly countries in sincere efforts to resolve the crisis in the Gulf and the Middle East, especially with respect to the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz. He said Pakistan acknowledges and deeply appreciates Oman’s valuable contribution and its steadfast efforts to foster de-escalation and peaceful coexistence.

He said Pakistan will continue to actively pursue diplomatic engagements and support all sincere efforts aimed at achieving comprehensive, just and lasting resolution to this conflict.

‘Hormuz agreement will lead to resumption of Iran-US talks’

Pakistan hopes an agreement over the Strait of Hormuz will lead to the United States and Iran resuming talks under a memorandum of understanding Islamabad helped mediate, the FO spox said.

“We hope that the agreement on the Strait will pave the way for continuing dialogue, particularly the resumption of technical level talks between Iran and the United States,” Andrabi told reporters.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir will visit Saudi Arabia on August 6-8, the South Asian nation’s foreign office said on Thursday.

“Although taking place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf, the visit will carry significance beyond the immediate crisis and short term considerations,” said foreign ministry spokesman Andrabi, whose government has been mediating to end the US-Iran war that has drawn in Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.