FO rejects India's 'baseless, fallacious contention' regarding SC allowing govt to hold polls in GB.

Byline: Naveed Siddiqui

The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday rejected India's "baseless and fallacious contention" regarding the Supreme Court's decision to allow the federal government to conduct the upcoming general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

On April 30, the top court had allowed the Centre to conduct the elections under the Election Act 2017 and amend the related law to install a caretaker government for conducting polls.

The five-year term of the incumbent government of GB is due to expire in the last week of June whereas the next general elections in the region will become due within 60 days after the expiry of the GB Legislative Assembly.

Earlier today, India protested against the Supreme Court's order, claiming Pakistan's institutions have 'no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it'.

According to The Wire, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs lodged a 'strong protest' through the demarche that 'clearly conveyed that the entire union territories of Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession'.

'India completely rejects such actions and continued attempts to bring material changes in Pakistan occupied areas of the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir," the statement added.

Responding to India's protest, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui issued a statement rejecting the claims.

"A senior Indian diplomat was summoned today to convey Pakistan's rejection of India's baseless and fallacious contention regarding the SC's verdict in a matter pertaining to GB," the statement read.

"It was clearly conveyed that the Indian claim over the occupied state of Jammu and Kashmir as an 'integral part' of India had no legal basis whatsoever."

Farooqui added that the "entire state of Jammu and Kashmir" is a "disputed territory" and is recognised as such by the international community.

"The dispute, which is the longest outstanding item on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), stemmed from India's forcible and illegal occupation in 1947 in complete violation of international law and...