Overview
- Pakistan is set to hold elections for the 33‑seat Gilgit‑Baltistan Assembly on June 7, 2026, after campaigning concluded and authorities prepared to proceed with polling.
- India lodged a formal, strong protest arguing Gilgit‑Baltistan is part of Jammu and Kashmir that legally acceded to India in 1947 and saying Pakistan’s vote cannot create a material change to sovereignty.
- New Delhi accused Islamabad of using elections to mask what it described as grave human‑rights violations, political repression and economic exploitation in territories under Pakistan’s control.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office rejected India’s objections as baseless, reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally disputed territory and urged implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and a plebiscite.
- The row spilled into the United Nations where India’s and Pakistan’s envoys exchanged sharp rebukes, raising risks to bilateral ties and creating potential diplomatic and practical obstacles for regional projects and rights monitoring, while activists report arrests and pressure on local campaigners.