India doesn't have courage to hold elections in occupied Kashmir: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: India does not have the courage to hold elections in occupied Kashmir despite heavy military presence, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday.

Chaudhry said in a tweet: “700,000 troops have been deployed in Kashmir and there’s one Indian soldier for every 10 Kashmiris. Despite this, you [India] do not have the courage to hold elections in [occupied] Kashmir.”

Further castigating the Indian government, he said if this is your situation even after spending billions on security then don’t be stubborn. “Go towards self-determination and let people decide what they want,” he added.

سات لاکھ فوج کشمیر میں تعینات ہے، ہر دس کشمیریوں پر ایک بھارتی فوجی مسلط ہے اس کے باوجود آپ میں جرࣿات نہیں کہ آپ کشمیر میں انتخابات کرا سکیں، جب ارب ھا روپیہ سیکورٹی پر خرچنے کے بعد بھی آپ کی یہ حالت ہے تو ضد نہ کریں،استصواب کی طرف جائیں لوگوں کو فیصلہ کرنے دیں وہ کیا چاہتے ہیں

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 11, 2019

India has announced to conduct general elections in seven phases starting on April 11.

It is pertinent to mention that Indian atrocities have reached new heights in occupied Kashmir in the aftermath of Feb 14 Pulwama attack in which over 40 paramilitary personnel were killed.

Noted Indian journalists and other intellectuals from across the world have said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “militaristic approach” was responsible for the increasing killings in occupied-Kashmir.

Analysts have further expressed speculations that Modi and his Hindu nationalist party is using post-Pulwama attack chaos for their political gains ahead of the national elections.