India, Aug. 4 -- India on Tuesday dismissed the second phase of local elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as "complete farce". The ministry of external affairs accused Pakistan of using the electoral exercise to conceal an ongoing crackdown on civilians in the region.

Addressing the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the "so-called local elections" could not hide what he called public protests and indiscriminate killings by Pakistani forces.

"The so-called local elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are a complete farce. The real story is one of public protests and the indiscriminate killing of civilians by Pakistani forces. Such hollow exercises cannot hide the reality," Jaiswal told reporters.

He s...