'Cosmetic Exercise To Camouflage Pakistan's Illegal Occupation': India On PoK Polls

Published 28 July 2026 · local

'Cosmetic Exercise To Camouflage Pakistan's Illegal Occupation': India On PoK Polls Published By, Last Updated: July 28, 2026, 16:26 IST The MEA said PoK protests

'Cosmetic Exercise To Camouflage Pakistan's Illegal Occupation': India On PoK Polls Published By, Last Updated: July 28, 2026, 16:26 IST The MEA said PoK protests are direct consequences of Pakistan's economic exploitation, its denial of the people's fundamental rights, and its administrative oppression The MEA said the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, including the areas currently under Pakistan's illegal and forcible occupation, are integral and inalienable parts of India. India on Tuesday dismissed the Legislative Assembly elections in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir as “comestic excercise" and called it an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and hide its grave human rights violations in the region. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said the ongoing mass protests in PoK are the direct consequences of Pakistan’s economic exploitation, its denial of the people’s fundamental rights, and its administrative oppression.

Jaiswal said the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, including the areas currently under Pakistan’s illegal and forcible occupation, are integral and inalienable parts of India. “The current cosmetic electoral exercise is nothing but an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and hide its grave human rights violations in the region. As we have stated earlier, the ongoing mass protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, of which you are aware, you would have seen the latest visuals from there, are the direct consequences of Pakistan’s economic exploitation, its denial of the people’s fundamental rights, and its administrative oppression," the MEA spokesperson said. PoK Elections The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine out of 13 seats in the first phase of elections held in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. There were allegations of massive rigging in the first phase of the polls held on Monday, in which the Pakistan’s People Party (PPP) won the remaining seats.

The elections for 45 contesting seats in the so-called legislative assembly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are happening in three phases between July 27 and August 10. According to preliminary results issued by the Election Commission on Tuesday, the PML-N led by the Sharif brothers – Nawaz and Shehbaz – emerged as the winner in nine constituencies while the PPP led by the Bhuttos secured four seats. Both parties are coalition partners at the federal level. Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has boycotted the polls. There are 53 seats in the so-called Pakistan-occupied Kashmir legislative assembly – 45 are directly elected, while eight are reserved for women, technocrats and clerics. Alleging rigging in seven seats, PPP senior leader Nayyar Bokhari said: “Our winning seats have been gifted to the PML-N." Other senior PPP leaders have demanded the Election Commission not to announce results till investigation of rigging in certain constituencies is not completed.