India has strongly objected to the “so-called elections” and the subsequent appointment of the next ‘prime minister’ in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, calling it a “cosmetic exercise” and an attempt by Pakistan to “camouflage its illegal occupation”.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Pakistan has “no locus standi on these Indian territories” and it must vacate all Indian areas under its illegal occupation.

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“Such an exercise can neither hide the illegal occupation by Pakistan nor the grave human rights violations, exploitation, and denial of freedom to people in these occupied territories,” Bagchi said, slamming Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s move of nominating his party’s lawmaker Abdul Qayyum Niazi as the next premier of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

“Pakistan Occupied Kashmir is a part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that was invaded by Pakistan during the first conflict between India and Pakistan, 1947-48. India has termed Pakistan’s control over the region as illegal,” Bagchi said, dismissing the exercise in PoK.

In the recently held voting exercise in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party has secured 32 seats in the 53-member House. It is for the first time that the PTI will form a government in PoK.

Imran Khan reportedly selected Niazi after interviewing several others on Friday and Saturday, including Sardar Tanvir Ilyas, Barrister Sultan Mahmood, Khawaja Farooq, Azhar Sadiq and Niazi.

He reportedly asked them about the strategy and views on environment, tourism and national and international issues.

Niazi was a member of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference before leaving it to join the PTI two years ago.

The opposition parties have accused the ruling party of rigging in the elections. Interestingly, the parties and contestants in the fray in so called elections in PoK mirror the political dynamics of Pakistan. The elections are usually won by the ruling party, and the losing side, mostly the primary opposition, makes the allegation that the “agencies” — a reference to Pakistani intelligence agencies helped the ruling party.

The last elections in PoK were held in 2016 when the Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by Nawaz Sharif was in power in Islamabad. The PML(N) won a comfortable majority, and Raja Farooq Haider was elected prime minister of “Azad Kashmir”, and Masood Khan the president.