Islamabad: Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, has voiced strong disapproval of the recent elections in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling them a sham and an insult to democratic processes. He criticized India’s efforts to alter the political dynamics in Kashmir, emphasizing the need for international condemnation of these actions.

According to National Assembly of Pakistan, Noon described the elections in IIOJK as neither free nor fair, asserting that they were orchestrated to support India’s ongoing control over the region. “These elections are an insult to democracy and the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people,” Noon remarked during a press briefing. He called on global powers to recognize the elections as illegitimate and to acknowledge the distorted realities being presented by the Indian government.

Further, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, a prominent Hurriyat leader, stated that India is promoting misleading narratives through these elections, claiming normalcy and effective local governance in Kashmir, which starkly contrasts the harsh realities under India’s stringent military presence.

Mushaal Mullick, Chairperson of Peace and Culture and spouse of detained Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik, also criticized the elections, labeling them a tool used by the Indian government to deceive the international community about the situation in Kashmir. Mullick advocated for meaningful dialogue as the path to genuine peace, rather than what she termed “rigged elections.”

These strong statements from key figures highlight ongoing tensions and the complex political situation surrounding the status and governance of Kashmir.