India on Tuesday, 28 July sharply condemned Pakistan for holding what it called 'so-called' assembly elections in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), describing the exercise as a deliberate attempt by Islamabad to mask its illegal occupation of the region and conceal widespread human rights abuses. The rebuke came from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) at a bi-weekly press briefing in New Delhi.

India's Official Position

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India's long-standing stance unequivocally: 'The entire union territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas currently under illegal occupation and forcible occupation of Pakistan, are integral and inalienable parts of India.'

Jaiswal added: '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.' India's position on PoJK, he stressed, has remained 'clear, consistent and well-known.'

Violence and Rigging Mar First Phase of Polling

The elections in PoJK have been overshadowed from the outset by reports of violent clashes, allegations of electoral rigging, and the killing of political workers during the first phase of polling, according to local media. Coalition partners in the region have reportedly accused each other of undermining the electoral process, casting serious doubt on the credibility of the exercise.

Long March Crackdown: At Least 20 Dead

The elections are taking place against a backdrop of escalating unrest. At least 20 people have been killed and dozens critically injured during the Long March organised by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in PoJK, as Pakistani authorities intensified a crackdown on protesters. Videos circulating on social media purportedly show Pakistani security personnel firing on civilians.

The JAAC posted on X: 'The Long March caravans have reached Rawalakot city. According to information received so far, the identities of 19 deceased individuals have been confirmed, while one person did not have identification documents and sustained a bullet wound to the head; his body is present at the Palandri Hospital. Thus, the total deaths have reached at least 20.' The organisation added that further details were contingent on daylight and the restoration of communications.

The march was called after talks between the JAAC and Pakistani authorities reportedly failed to reach a mutually acceptable outcome, prompting renewed public mobilisation.

Root Causes: Economic Exploitation and Rights Denial

Jaiswal directly linked the ongoing protests to Pakistan's conduct in the region, stating: 'The ongoing mass protests in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir are the direct consequences of its economic exploitation, its denial of fundamental rights to the people and their administrative oppression.'

This comes amid a sustained pattern of civil unrest in PoJK, where residents have repeatedly taken to the streets over issues ranging from electricity tariffs and wheat flour prices to the absence of constitutional protections. India's condemnation of Tuesday's elections is consistent with its position across successive governments — that any electoral or administrative act by Pakistan in PoJK carries no legal validity.

What Comes Next

New Delhi is unlikely to alter its diplomatic posture regardless of the election outcome in PoJK. The international community will be watching whether the reported violence and rigging allegations prompt any response from bodies such as the United Nations Human Rights Council. For the people of PoJK, the immediate concern remains the safety of protesters and the restoration of communications reportedly disrupted during the crackdown.