'Cosmetic exercise to camouflage illegal occupation': MEA rejects Pak polls in PoK

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Tuesday dismissed the legislative assembly elections being held in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), calling the exercise a "cosmetic" attempt by Islamabad to legitimise its "illegal occupation" of the region. Responding to reports on the polls, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that the entire Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including areas currently under Pakistan's control, are an integral part of India."We have seen reports regarding the so-called legislative assembly elections being conducted in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir... The entire union territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas currently under illegal and forcible occupation of Pakistan, are integral parts of India," he said."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.