ISLAMABAD, July 4: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that no election held in occupied Kashmir under the “Indian constitution and under the barrel of Indian guns” could be a substitute for a free and fair plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.

In an official reaction to Delhi’s plan to hold elections in occupied Kashmir, an FO spokesman recalled that the Security Council resolutions on the Kashmir dispute clearly stipulated that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir would be in accordance with the will of the Kashmiris expressed through a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the UN auspices.

“It is, therefore, clear that no election held in occupied Kashmir under the Indian constitution, and under the barrel of Indian guns could be a substitute for a free and fair plebiscite under UN auspices,” he added.

The spokesman referred to a recent statement by the chief elections commissioner of India in which he had said that no one would be compelled to vote and no coercion would be allowed to increase the voter turnout.

This statement, by implication, accepted the unwillingness of the Kashmiris to participate in the fraudulent elections in occupied Kashmir, the spokesman added.

From all indications it appears that the Indian government intends to manipulate the forthcoming elections, he added. “To this end important members of the executive committee of the APHC have already been arrested under trumped-up charges,” he added.

The spokesman maintained that as regards the participation in the elections to the so-called state assembly of occupied Kashmir, a decision rested with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and the people of Kashmir. He said the APHC had already announced its intentions to boycott these sham elections and Pakistan would respect the APHC decision.