ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has condemned the remarks by his Indian counterpart on Kashmir, saying India’s continued attempts to rewrite internationally recognised legal realities through coercive rhetoric cannot alter the facts.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the irresponsible remarks made by the Indian Defence Minister. Such statements reflect a continued attempt to distort internationally recognised legal realities through political rhetoric and coercive posturing,” Khawaja Asif said in a post on social media.
Status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
The Defence Minister said such tactics and remarks neither alter the status of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir nor contribute to regional peace, stability or meaningful dialogue.
“Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised disputed territory, the final disposition of which is to be determined in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the freely expressed will of the Kashmiri people.”
Khawaja Asif further said: “India’s repeated attempts to malign Pakistan lack credibility in light of its own well-documented record of state-sponsored terrorism and criminal activities. In fact, India remains the biggest sponsor of terrorism and perpetrator of instability in South Asia, holding the region hostage to its aggressively revisionist designs.”
“Equally alarming is India’s irresponsible rhetoric which risks lowering the threshold for interstate conflict in the region. Pakistan remains committed to peace and dialogue, but its resolve to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security is absolute and must never be tested.”
Khawaja Asif said that the Indian Defence minister’s rhetoric is an attempt to deflect the attention from internal turmoil and increasing unrest and discontent against Modi’s autocratic and divisive style of governance.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had stated that India will not hold general talks with Pakistan, asserting that any future discussions will focus solely on “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)” and cross-border terrorism.
