India on Tuesday accused Pakistan of using lethal force, intimidation and repression against protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), resulting in the death of 90 civilians, as it again urged the world community to hold Islamabad accountable for the human rights violations and atrocities.
The remarks by external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a regular media briefing came against the backdrop of Pakistani authorities holding elections in two constituencies in PoK to complete the second phase of polls to the local assembly.
Jaiswal, who was responding to a question on violence by Pakistani security forces against the protesters and the elections to the assembly in PoK, described the electoral exercise as a “complete farce” and called on the world community to focus on “wanton killings” in the region.
“This so-called local election in PoK is a complete farce. The real happening is that of public protests and wanton killings by the Pakistani forces. Such hollow exercises cannot hide reality,” he said.
Jaiswal pointed out that at least 90 civilians had lost their lives in a continuing crackdown by Pakistani authorities since June. “Many more have been injured as you have seen. The Pakistani establishment has answered public discontent with bullets, blackouts, intimidation and repression, and now seeks to manufacture legitimacy through a hollow electoral exercise,” he said.
Pakistan “must be held accountable” and the world “should see through the veneer of Pakistan’s hypocritical lecturing on human rights”, Jaiswal said. “The international community must hold Pakistan accountable for these atrocities.”
PoK has been affected by violence since the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a local organisation, launched a protest earlier this year against high inflation and cost of living in the region. It also demanded the abolition of seats reserved in the local assembly for refugees from the Indian region of Jammu and Kashmir, which experts have contended are used by Pakistan’s security establishment to manipulate the outcome of elections.
Elections to the assembly in PoK are being held in three phases, and the first and second phases on July 27 and August 2 were marred by firing by security forces on protesters and allegations of rigging. Elections could not be held in the two constituencies that voted on Tuesday because of landslides and bad weather on Sunday. The third phase will be held on August 10.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which is part of the PML-N-led ruling coalition in Islamabad, on Tuesday accused its political partner of rigging, violence and electoral malpractices during the second phase of polling.