ISLAMABAD: India on Tuesday criticised Pakistan for holding elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and said the region was an integral part of India. According to Indian wire report from New Delhi while responding to a question, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said: “India’s position is well known. The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, which includes the regions of Gilgit and Baltistan is an integral part of India. “The election in Gilgit and Baltistan on June 8 under ‘Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self Government Order’ is an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the regions.“We are concerned at the continued efforts by Pakistan to deny the people of the region their political rights and the efforts being made to absorb these territories”, the spokesperson said. Meanwhile Prime Minister’s Political Secretary Dr. Syed Asif Saeed Kirmani discarded Indian contention and said that the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are Pakistani by all means of definition. Indian claim has no justification, he said. To a query he said on Tuesday evening that people of Gilgit-Baltistan have the right to choose their representatives for formation of their own government and they will be availing the opportunity on 8th of this month. He said that no validity is available for Indian claim about Gilgit-Baltistan.
