India lodges strong protest over Pakistan SC's order on polls in Gilgit-Balochistan

New Delhi: India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan against their Supreme Court's order to bring 'material change' in the so-called Gilgit Baltistan region and asked Islamabad to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.

The MEA said New Delhi made a demarche, formal diplomatic representations, to a senior Pakistan diplomat and conveyed that 'the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India 

"It was clearly conveyed that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and 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. The Government of Pakistan or its judiciary has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement, dated May 4.

"India completely rejects such actions and continued attempts to bring material changes in Pakistan-occupied areas of the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Instead, Pakistan should immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation," it stated.

The ministry added that such actions can neither hide the illegal occupation of parts of Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh by Pakistan nor the grave human rights violations, exploitation and denial of freedom to the people residing in Pakistan-occupied territories for the past seven decades.

"Government of India's position in the matter is reflected in the resolution passed by the Parliament in 1994 by consensus," the MEA said.

The Pakistani court had last week allowed the amendment to the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order of 2018 to conduct the general elections in September as well as for setting up a caretaker government during the interregnum period.