India slams Pakistan plan to hold 'general elections' in illegally-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan

India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over its plans to hold ‘general elections’ to the so-called ‘Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly’ on June 7, 2026, in territories that New Delhi said are illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan.

In a press statement, the Government of India reiterated its position that the entire union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, including the so-called ‘Gilgit-Baltistan,’ are integral and inalienable parts of India as a result of the complete, legal and irrevocable accession of Jammu & Kashmir to India in 1947.

The government further said such endeavours by Pakistan cannot mask what it described as grave human rights violations, political repression, economic exploitation and denial of freedom in territories illegally occupied by Pakistan.
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India also categorically rejected any attempts by Pakistan to bring about material changes in areas under its illegal occupation and underlined that such actions cannot hide the fact that Pakistan remains in illegal possession of Indian territories, which it must vacate.

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